


Exposure

by CountingWithStraws



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blood and Violence, Dark Romance, Depression, FBI, M/M, May not be for sensitive readers, Mental Health Issues, OCD, Self-Harm, Self-Mutilation, germaphobia, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:01:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 69,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23295937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CountingWithStraws/pseuds/CountingWithStraws
Summary: A dark romance where the line between good and evil is blurred and no one can be trusted. On the outside Sasuke Uchiha is an elite businessman with the world at his finger tips, but beneath his gloves he hides skin so raw and chapped that it can never be repaired. Or can it? He's pulled to the comforting arms of one Naruto Uzumaki, but his hands aren't so lovely either. Can these two find solace within each other or will Special Agent Itachi Uchiha's investigation into the Kyubi Mafia tear them apart?
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 252
Kudos: 231
Collections: Foxy fox 🦊





	1. Symphony for Two

He inhaled deeply, allowing the nicotine to burn through his system and listened to the rush hour traffic just beyond the mouth of the alleyway. The honking of horns was music to his ears and the road-rage swearing its lyrics. He smiled when he heard a particularly clever one. Leaning his head against the brick wall, Naruto closed his eyes and mentally listed what he needed from the store: eggs, rice, pork, juice—did he need milk? Probably.

A rat scattered across his foot and over to a nearby restaurant dumpster, but he didn’t move. The city vermin where his old friends. When the rats were there, the streets were safe. When shit was about to go down, they were to the first to scatter. Taking another drag of his cigarette, Naruto ignored the rotted scent of trash that the rat released when it entered the dumpster. What else did he need from the store?

Footsteps came from the alley entrance. They were slow, casual steps, someone used to the city alleys. Naruto opened his eyes and took another drag before exhaling slowly. His eyes flickered to the man and then over to the dumpster, where the rat was happily picking at someone’s leftovers. The man looked about his own age and was dressed similarly in jeans and a nondescript t-shirt. His hair was on the long side and warm brown in colour. Life on the streets had taught Naruto many things—don’t get caught looking, remember everyone.

The man passed him without so much as a glance and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, a crinkled dollar bill falling to the ground. Jogging up a set of stairs, the man entered the back entrance of a popular main street restaurant. For a moment Naruto heard the man cheerfully greet the other restaurant employees and then the door closed, leaving Naruto along with the city’s rush hour symphony.

Naruto took a drag of his cigarette; it was nearly to the filter. He really wasn’t sure if he needed milk. It was probably best to buy some anyways. Finishing his cigarette unhurriedly, Naruto snubbed it against the brick wall before flicking it into the dumpster. The rat paid him no mind. Kicking off the wall, Naruto scooped up the dropped buck and walked over to his motorcycle. He didn’t want to waste milk either, so maybe he’d wait and go shopping in the morning. Sighing, he fired up his bike. Boruto would have a fit if he didn’t have milk for his cereal. Naruto pulled out of the alley. Best to just get it.

* * *

Sasuke laid on the horn as he slammed his breaks and let loose a bilingual slew of curses. Fucking motorcyclists! The traffic behind him bellowed at his sudden halt. He was not in the mood for this. Seriously.

“Everything all right over there, little brother?” Itachi’s smooth voice asked through the car speakers. He had called shortly after Sasuke had retrieved his car from the airport’s long term parking garage.

“Yes. It’s fine.” Sasuke’s tone was bored. “So, you went to see mother?”

“Yeah, she is, of course, trying to bring me back into the family.”

Sasuke did not want to voice that he had once had a similar wish. He couldn’t. His brother had wisely run away from the family and the Uchiha financial empire nearly sixteen years ago. He would be a fool to come back now. Why he had seen fit to reconnect with them three months ago was a mystery to Sasuke—one he was suspicious of. Instead, Sasuke neutrally asked, “Was father there?”

“In his own way. I overheard him threatening someone over the phone in his office on my way to the bathroom. Apparently, someone offended the daughter of an important potential business partner.”

Sasuke grimaced internally. He remembered the girl in question; her hands were filthy. “I see.”

“I don’t remember you being this way, Sas,” Itachi said. “What happened to the little brother I had to bribe to take a bath? If there’s something you need to talk abou-”

“Someone’s on the other line,” Sasuke interrupted and hung up. There was nothing to talk about. He did not have a problem. He was perfectly capable of working and existing within society.

Pulling into his apartment’s underground parking garage, Sasuke’s gloved fingers tightened ever so slightly on the steering wheel. There was no problem. Parking his car, Sasuke took a deep breath and got out of the car. There was no problem. Getting out, he slung his carry-on over his shoulder and grabbed his briefcase, pointedly ignoring the coil tightening in the pit of his stomach. There was no problem.

He took the elevator to the top floor and made his way to his apartment. Upon entering he locked the door and slid the bolt into place before setting his bags down on a sheet he had preset there two weeks ago before he left on his trip. He then methodically removed his shoes, wiping them down with an antibacterial wipe before setting them on the shoe rack, and then the rest of his clothes, underwear included, which went directly into the washer.

One of the things Sasuke liked about his apartment was that there was a laundry room and bathroom directly off of the entrance. Stepping into the shower, Sasuke cranked the temperature up as hot as it would go. The hot water burned and eased the coil in his stomach. It was wonderful. Grabbing the bottle of Dawn antibacterial soap, Sasuke lathered up his body, rinsed off, and then repeated the procedure two more times before switching to shampoo and bodywash, repeating that cycle three times as well. No, Itachi was an idiot. There wasn’t anything to talk about. Sasuke didn’t have a problem at all.

When Sasuke finally got out of the shower there was a text waiting on his phone: _Can Suke come out to play?_


	2. Antibacterial Kiss

> “The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.”
> 
> -Sir Thomas Beecham

Blood seeped under the skin, it stained his cuticles and dripped from his fingers, warm and sticky. The sensation was all too familiar to him, like the feeling of clothing against his skin. This was his world. This was where he was King—a God of Blood and Darkness—where he was truly alive.

He took a step back from the broken human before him and turned to the man perched on the arm of a leather chair—Sai, his right hand. The man’s too-large, black eyes stared at the body, unseeingly and yet seeing far more than any mere mortal.

“Anything?”

“We’re being hunted.” Sai’s eyes came to focus and he pulled out a wrinkled dollar bill, dropping it on the floor at the corpse’s feet. The Kyūbi didn’t bother looking at the bill, he had already seen the code written on it.

A growl burned in the back of the Kyūbi’s throat. “Who?”

“FBI. A group from out of town.”

“Do we have names?”

“Not yet.”

The Kyūbi looked down at the dead traitor. The man had been scared of someone or something other than him. It didn’t bode well. “Have the Pack come in. Tighten security around headquarters.”

Sai gave a slight nod. It would be done.

Turning, the Kyūbi walked over to the sink and washed his hands. The water was cold and it turned red as it slipped down the drain, but it could never wash away all of the blood. It had seeped into his skin, staining him.

“How’s your little one these days?” Sai asked, hopping down from his perch.

The Kyūbi smiled. “A terror. He’s excited for his birthday in a few weeks.”

“He’ll be nine, right?”

“Thirteen.”

“Fuck me, a teenager!” Sai chuckled softly. “Does it make you feel old?”

“A little.” The Kyūbi leaned against the sink. “But weird at the same time. Old at twenty-nine?”

Sai shrugged. “Comes with the pedigree, I guess.”

“True.” The Kyūbi sighed. Both of his parents had been murdered long before they could ever reach his age, letting him inherit the title at the ripe age of three.

After a moment, Sai said, “Boruto’s lucky.”

“Yeah?” The Kyūbi scratched his chin. He needed to shave; his five o’clock shadow was getting scruffy. “I think he could do better.”

Sai shook his head. “You’re a good dad, Naruto Uzumaki.” And with that Sai walked over to the corpse. “I’ll take care of this. Go enjoy _your_ birthday.”

Naruto nodded and pushed off of the counter. Outside of the hidden interrogation room, the music reverberated in the floors and walls of Club Suna. The music was both deafening and reinvigorating compared to the darkness he had stepped out of, but could never leave behind. Naruto leaned against the hallway wall and closed his eyes. He let the sounds and the drifting lights soak into him. Beyond this narrow passage people danced and laughed and enjoyed the night in a way only people of sunlight could. He wouldn’t allow himself to yearn for it, to hunger for a bright happiness he could never hold in his hands—the hands of a Jinchūriki, Lord of Murder. Fuck, he needed a smoke.

Stepping through a hidden door, Naruto entered one of the many VIP balconies the club provided. This one belonged to Namikaze Corporation, the public face of the Clan, a mafia that had ruled the Konoha City underground since the city’s foundation. To an outsider, the balcony occupants looked like any other group of clubbers in their twenties—a group of men and women sitting around drinking and enjoying their youth. Naruto found it ridiculously funny. He looked from his left hand (Shikamaru Nara, 116 kills), to his Pack Handler (Kiba Inuzuka, twenty-seven kills), his uptown informant (Choji Akimichi, fifty-nine kills), and the list went on. If found out, any one on this balcony would definitely get the death sentence—except for perhaps Neji Hyūga (zero kills). As NamiCorp’s lawyer he had to keep his hands clean, but he also kept a leash on the District Attorney. But this was especially true for the Kyūbi and Sai, who each had an unmentionable number of kills.

“Ah, the birthday boy is finally joining us!” Kiba announced, his tattooed cheeks already red from drinking.

“Hey, you started without me!” Naruto chuckled and walked over, accepting the beer Shikamaru offered him as he sat down on the long couch that curved around the back of the balcony. “Where are the girls?”

“Where do you think?” Choji shook his head. He was a large bear of a man, but also an excellent chef and owner of one of the most sought-after restaurants in the world. He was also an amazing _butcher_. “They’re torturing the poor bastards on the dance floor.”

“Don’t let Sai find out.” Naruto took a swig of his beer. The last time someone had tried to get Ino (sixty-three kills) to go home with them they had the unfortunate experience of meeting the Clan’s ace hitman. Ino and Sai have had a light switch relationship since they were freshman in high school and, as everyone found out on that particular day, Sai had a surprisingly possessive streak—even when the two weren’t dating.

“What’s with that smirk?” Shikamaru asked. “It’s freaking me out.”

“I was just thinking of _that guy_. Poor idiot thought he could take on Sai because he was taller and carried all that pudgy muscle.” Naruto chuckled. “Idiot.”

“If it had been anyone ordinary, the club would have banned him after that.”

“Probably.”

“Didn’t you let that one slide, though?” Neji asked, his fingers lazily stirred the ice in his vodka.

“He was dating Sakura at the time,” Naruto said simply.

All of the men at the table shuddered at the thought, even Choji who had been absorbed in the club’s newest appetizer. Despite choosing to go Straight, Sakura was one chick you did not want to cross. They all had the childhood scars to prove it.

As Naruto finished his beer another woman he had no desire to get on the wrong side of approached the table. The tall, leather-clad, hard-core feminist’s fiancé, however, was not so fortunate. Naruto looked to Neji. Or maybe he was. Tenten (eighty-two kills) slid onto Neji’s lap, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“You’re late,” she said, her voice as cold as mid-winter steel.

Neji brushed his lips against his fiancée’s throat and then whispered something into her ear. She smiled and melted into him.

Naruto shook his head. He really didn’t want to know the sexual dynamic of that relationship. Standing, he headed over to the railing, leaning against it. All of the VIP balconies were on the second level of the club, each with their own individual access to the dance floor. Though some, like the one gifted to NamiCorp, were larger than others. His was largest. It included a private bathroom and several rooms for the Clan’s particular uses. Though it was not the only club to give the Clan such treatment, it was the one Naruto and his friends most frequented. Despite its looks, Club Suna had excellent security and the staff was good at minding its own business.

“See anyone interesting?” Shikamaru asked as he too leaned against the railing, a beer in hand.

Naruto looked at the people dancing. Most were in their mid-to-late twenties, like him, and most were wearing as little clothing as possible. Naruto stuck with his jeans and t-shirt. Despite the cooling mists that rained down onto the dance floor, Naruto could still feel the heat coming from it. He shrugged. He couldn’t remember the last time he really found anyone attractive.

“You need to get laid.”

Naruto rolled his eyes.

“When was the last time?”

“I’m not discussing this.”

Shikamaru sipped his beer. “She’s better now. She’s with Kiba. It sounds pretty solid too. Don’t you think you deserve happiness as well?”

“I am happy,” Naruto said with a sigh, his eyes returning to the dance floor. He had spotted the girls. As they had all thought, the girls were rubbing against each other with a group of guys drooling not far away.

“Boruto’s nearly thirteen. Pretty soon he’ll be old enough to start questioning why his father never dates,” Shikamaru said, his eyes also scanning the mosh of bodies below.

“I’d rather him ask that than what my real job is.”

“You’re missing the point.”

“I’m well aware of your point, just as you’re well aware of the risks. You’re not my best friend for nothing, Shika.”

Said friend sighed. “What a drag.”

Naruto squeezed his friend’s shoulder affectionately. “I’m stepping out for a smoke.”

“You should really quit that.”

Heading down the stairs, Naruto called over his shoulder, “Like I’ll live long enough to worry about that!”

With another sigh, Shikamaru shook his head and returned to the table.

* * *

Flicking his cigarette into an outdoor ash can, Naruto headed back inside. It was getting late. He had time for perhaps one more beer before he had to head home. Breakfast didn’t make itself. He approached the long, mahogany bar and nodded to the androgynous bartender with a keen pair of eyes. With a sharp nod, the bartender grabbed a beer and brought it over, slipping a face down napkin under it.

“Thanks, Haku,” Naruto said, taking a sip of his beer and slipping the napkin into his pocket. “How much is my tab?”

“It’s on the house as thanks for cleaning up that little problem the other day,” the barkeep said and then walked off to help another customer.

Spinning on his stool, Naruto turned toward the dance floor. He could no longer see the girls; they must have either returned to the balcony or were too far into the mosh of bodies. Knowing them, they were probably at its center. A pair near the edge caught Naruto’s eye. One was a tall, lean blonde with fuck-me heels and the other… Naruto felt something in him shift. She wasn’t particularly curvaceous. Her shoulders were broad and her torso tapered down smoothly to narrow hips and a tight ass. If it wasn’t for the way she moved her hips, Naruto would have suspected that she was a man. Outside of professional dancers, Naruto hadn’t seen any man with that kind of fluidity. If he had, he would have jumped the guy immediately—if only for the sexual experience.

What confused him was that that was a woman, surely it had to be? Yet he was having such a visceral reaction to merely watching her dance. He had never had any sexual interest in women before, not even to his ex. Yet, as he took a swig of his beer, his eyes were glued to that woman, heat pooled between his legs and flared through his body. He was unbearably hot, like he had magma for blood. His clothes felt itchy and way too tight. He wanted them off. Now. He wanted her like he had never wanted any one before. His skin was crawling with the need to move, to be closer to her, to feel her flesh against his.

Without even realizing it Naruto was up and moving through the crowed, his eyes never leaving her. He was a predator and she was his. As he approached her, all other sensory information disappeared. There was no one else. It was just him, her, and the heavy beat of the music. She looked at him and Naruto halted. They were eye to eye, the same height, even though she wasn’t wearing heels. Her deep, dark eyes looked him over appraisingly and then she arched a thin, black eyebrow. A challenge.

Naruto stepped forward, his hand sliding naturally around her waist and then they were moving together. Pelvis to pelvis. He pushed and she pulled. She pushed and he pulled. Neither gained an inch, but neither lost one either.

“Holy shit,” Ino said as she looked down from the VIP balcony and grabbed her best friend Sakura’s arm, squeezing it hard enough to bruise.

“Ouch, bitch!” Sakura said, yanking her arm away. “What’s your-”

“Look!” Ino jammed her finger toward a pair of dancers at the edge of the floor, near one of the large concrete pillars. A woman with messy black hair piled high on her head viciously pinned a well-defined muscular blonde against the pillar before grinding her body against his and then pulled away. The guy smirked ferally, grabbing the chick’s wrist and spinning her back into his body as they continued dancing.

“What the fuck?” Sakura spluttered before calling over her shoulder, “Shika! Did you finally spike Naru’s drink?”

“No?” Shikamaru said, walking over. He paused when he saw what the girls were freaking out about. A small smile spread across his lips.

“I never thought I’d see the day that Naruto Uzumaki would take interest in another woman!” Ino squealed.

“What?”

The voice was like a bucket of cold ice on the girls’ excitement. They spun around and stared at the small, curvy Hinata Uzumaki née Hyūga. Whilst the girls stared at each other, Shikamaru wisely made his exit down to the bar.

“Are you feeling all right?” Ino said, walking over to the smaller woman, Sakura at her side. “You were in the bathroom for a while.”

“Yeah,” Hinata said quietly. “I’m fine. What were you saying about Naruto?”

“Nothing,” Sakura said quickly. “Just Ino being Ino. Stupid.”

“Hey! I’m not stupid.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. That’s why you haven’t put a proper leash on your man, yet.”

Ino lifted her chin. “Sai cannot be leashed.”

“Apparently.” Sakura rolled her eyes and then smiled at Hinata. “I’m feeling piggish. I heard a new artisan waffle house just opened up a block from here. Wanna go?”

“Um…,” Hinata wavered.

“Kiba! Waffles?” Ino called over to Hinata’s boyfriend.

The long-haired brunette perked up at his name. “What?”

“Waffles?!” Choji’s eyes widened. “Are you going to _A-Styles Waffle House_?”

“Yeah, we were thinking about it. Wanna come?” Sakura asked.

Choji was up and immediately ushering everyone out of the club.

Back out on the dance floor Naruto was once again pressed against the pillar, his hands pinned above his head. There was no doubt in his mind anymore. She was a He, and was definitely packing some heavy equipment. The feeling of it grinding against Naruto sent his mind whirling. They needed to stop before he came on the dance floor, but first—Naruto yanked one of his hands from hers and spun them around to the back of the pillar. Lifting her, he pinned her against the concrete and she wrapped her lean, muscular legs around his hips. Who kissed who was irrelevant. It was devouring and hungry and fierce. Teeth clanked against teeth, they bit into tender lip flesh, and tongues twirled in a dance of their own. Naruto had never experienced a kiss like this. It tasted like liquor and citrus. It consumed him.

“Water,” Naruto managed between kisses.

“Hmm?” Her voice was deep and warm and oh the sound of it, it did things to Naruto’s feverish mind.

“Never mind,” Naruto murmured and kissed her again.

She grabbed his hair and yanked, exposing the tan skin of his neck. Naruto moaned and she nipped his ear. “Water is good.”

He groaned, nearly undone, but nodded and reluctantly set her back down. With a smirk she grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the bar. It was only then that Naruto noticed she wore long, black lace gloves. In fact, as his eyes went up and down her form, most of her creamy pale skin was covered. She even wore black nylons. His cock twitched at the sight of them. Naruto had never been much of a fetish kind of guy, but the sight of those lean, sculptured legs wrapped in nylon… He shook his head. It had been way too damn long.

“Two waters, please,” she said to Haku as they reached the bar.

Haku grinned at Naruto and set the water bottles on the counter. “It’s on the house.”

She raised an eyebrow and looked back at Naruto.

“What he means is that I’ll owe it to him later,” Naruto said with a smile, taking one of the bottles. “I’m Naruto, by the way.”

“Suke,” she said, cracking the other bottle open and then she took a small packet the size of a condom wrapper from her tiny handbag. She opened it with expert easy and pulled out a disposable sanitary wipe, cleaning off the mouth of her bottle before drinking.

“Is that short for something?” Naruto asked, his eyes lowering to her bulge and then back to her eyes, raising an eyebrow.

She blushed and looked away, her smile fading.

Naruto leaned in, she smelled of musk and pine and bleach. He whispered in her ear, “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

Suke smiled up at him. “Yeah, it’s short for something.”

Naruto chuckled and sat down, facing the dance floor. His body had cooled some now that they were at the bar, but his awareness of Suke was as sharp as ever. “Alright. I see how it is.”

Suke sat down next to him and stifled a yawn behind her gloved hand.

“Tired?” Naruto asked.

She opened her mouth to answer and then paused, thinking for a moment, and then shook her head. “Not as much as I should be.”

“You seem surprised by that.”

“I didn’t want to come tonight, but my girlfriend made me,” Suke answered honestly. “I just got off a twenty-two-hour flight this morning.”

“Fuck me,” Naruto said into his bottle as he took a sip. That was a long ass flight.

“I’d like to.”

Naruto choked on his water.

Suke patted his back and laughed. “Now that we’re off the floor, I get the feeling you don’t do this often.”

Clearing his throat, Naruto shook his head. “You could say that.” He didn’t add that it was more like never.

“You’re as red as a thirteen-year-old virgin.”

“Twenty-nine, actually. You?” Naruto didn’t dare look at Suke. He could talk about murdering someone just fine, but his sex life? He didn’t even want to have ‘the talk’ with his son.

Suke stood. “Please don’t tell me you’re a virgin.”

Naruto shot him a glare. Technically no. He had a kid to prove it. Though, raising a kid single-handedly and running a mafia hadn’t given him much opportunity to find himself a guy to fuck in secret. So, on that front he basically of was, but still not technically. “It’s just been a while.”

“How long?” Suke asked, taking a step back.

Naruto took a deep breath, not particularly liking this conversation, but for some reason finding it hard to lie. “Long.”

Another step back. “Why now? Why me?”

“Kinda deep for someone you just met, isn’t it?” Naruto said, looking away. The conversation had been like a bucket of cold water, cooling off his overheated desire, yet he was still fully aware of Suke. Annoyingly so. “Look, this is totally out of character for me. I should probably get going anyway-”

“Wait!” Suke grabbed his arm. “I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine. I think I’m a little drunk, anyways.”

“Me too,” Suke admitted and somehow seemed to deflate a little, letting go of his arm. “But…” Digging into her handbag, Suke pulled out a pen and grabbed Naruto’s arm, writing on it.

Naruto looked down at his arm when Suke let go. It was a phone number written in neat, angular script. When he looked up Suke had already begun leaning forward and their lips collided in a slow, heated kiss.

“You make me want to be out of character too,” Suke said breathlessly, pulling from the kiss and then quickly disappearing back into the mass of bodies on the dance floor.


	3. Unfortunate Contamination

The early morning light filtered through the amber blinds of Naruto’s bedroom, dust particles danced mischievously in its rays. Naruto watched them drift slowly to the old, wooden floor, and thought about last night. The hangover wasn’t nearly as bad as the ache in his loins. He hadn’t been with anyone properly, let alone kissed another person since the divorce—unless he counted the few very brief back alley shags he had with very drunk or high-as-a-kite men who wouldn’t remember a thing in the morning. If he was honest with himself, he hadn’t felt the need to. Boruto’s happiness was his priority and he was content with his life, there had never been the need to fill any kind of void.

Something had shifted in him last night. His bed suddenly felt too big and his hand just wasn’t good enough. He felt empty. In his post-wakeup haze he wanted Suke like he had never wanted another person. He wanted to rip off Suke’s clothes, to wash away the makeup, to see who Suke was as a man. Though he was confident in his homosexuality, Naruto had never wanted anything more than a quick fix with another man. But he wanted more than a fuck’n’go. He wanted to see what was behind those deep, dark eyes. He wanted to take hours exploring just what that flexible body could do. He wanted…but could he risk it?

Relationships outside of the Clan were risky—to both parties—but Naruto’s position as Kyūbi significantly increased the risks and the complications. Suke may hide behind the mask of a woman, but Naruto Uzumaki was a fully-fledged, whole-body lie. He wouldn’t be able to tell Suke anything about himself—his job, his life, his history, his son, all of that would have to remain secret, locked away deep within the faux person called Naruto. Could a relationship like that even exist?

Naruto looked down at his arm. The numbers were slightly smudged from sleep, but still clearly readable. He sighed. Who was he kidding? Getting up, Naruto went into his tiny en suite bathroom and washed the numbers away. He was a father and he was Kyūbi. Naruto looked at himself in the mirror. His long blonde hair was a mess and in need of a cut, his beard was rough at best, and his long-forgotten clear blue eyes were darkened with exhaustion. He would not wish for a life outside. He was a man of the darkness. That was where he belonged. The man looking back didn’t believe him. Turning away, Naruto returned to his bed, burying his face in the pillows.

His back was to the door, but he instinctively felt a presents approach. It helped that Boruto had not yet mastered the art of stealth. He knew the boy was coming even before he felt the subtle dip in the bed. Closing his eyes, Naruto willed away his problems and pretended to be asleep. He felt Boruto move about on the bed, trying to gauge if his father was asleep or not. It took Naruto every ounce of self-control not to smile when he felt his son’s tiny hand waving in front of his face. He heard Boruto take a deep breath, preparing to scare him, but Naruto was ready.

“RAWR!” Naruto roared, rolling around and grabbing Boruto. His son let out a high-pitched scream and then fell into a fit of giggles as Naruto tickled him. Naruto smiled. Rolling onto his back, he hugged his son. Boruto was definitely the best cure-all for hangovers and stupidity.

“Dad?” Boruto asked when he had caught his breath, his head lying on his father’s chest.

Naruto looked down at his son, who looked so much like he had as a child. His fingers combed through his son’s thick, blonde hair. “Hmm?”

Boruto looked up at his father, his big, blue eyes filled with worry. “Are you lonely?”

Naruto frowned. “Why would you ask that?”

“Uncle Sai was here to drop off your birthday present and take something from your jeans, and he said that it was unfor…” Boruto paused, trying to remember what Sai had said.

“Unforgettable?” Naruto offered.

“No.”

“Unforgiving?”

“No, that’s not it either. Unfor…”

“Unformitable?”

Boruto’s brows crinkled. “What’s that mean?”

“Not scary,” Naruto said, his fingers twisting a strand of his son’s hair. “A formidable opponent is one who is scary or really powerful. An unformitable one isn’t scary.”

Boruto digested that bit of information for a moment and then shook his head. Naruto couldn’t help but smile. His son was so much more studious than he had been at that age. The kid seemed to like learning and was an oddly thoughtful child at times. Perhaps it was Shikamaru’s influence. The two played chest every Wednesday night without failure and Naruto couldn’t believe some of the intellectual conversations he overheard them having.

“No, that’s not it either,” Boruto said eventually.

“Well, what else did he say? After the word you can’t remember.”

“It had to do with your pockets not being full of numbers after a night at the club.”

“Unfortunate?”

“Yes! Unfortunate.” Boruto’s face brightened as he repeated the word a few times, memorizing it. Then it fell into confusion as he asked, “Why would you fill your pockets with numbers? Wouldn’t they get heavy?”

Naruto laughed and hugged his son. “Uncle Sai meant little pieces of paper with people’s phone numbers written on them.”

Boruto blushed, his bottom lip pouting out indignantly. “I know that!”

Smiling softly, Naruto tucked some loose strands behind his son’s ear and asked, “So why did that make you think I was lonely?”

“I asked Uncle Sai what unfortunate meant and he said it was a sad thing. He said that it was sad that you don’t have anyone like mom has Uncle Kiba. He said it was unfortunate when good people went to bed alone.”

Naruto sighed and ruffled his son’s hair. “I have you, that’s all I need.”

“But what about when I grow up and become a man?”

Rolling his eyes, Naruto said, “You’ve been hanging out with Uncle Shikamaru too much. Hungry?”

“No. Uncle Sai made me breakfast before he left.”

“Then how about some anime? Granny Tsunade bought you a new one, didn’t she?”

“Shouldn’t we watch what you want? It’s your birthday, dad.”

“I want nothing more for my birthday than to lay in bed and watch anime with my son.”

With a gleeful shout, Boruto bounced off of the bed and went to retrieve his newest anime, but then paused at the door. He hesitated, fidgeting with the sleeve of his panda pajamas.

“You okay?” Naruto asked gently.

Boruto bit his bottom lip and then looked at his father. “I think I’d like it,” he said quietly, “if you got married again. If…” His eyes fell to the overflowing laundry basket in the corner of the room. “If we had a family, like before. Not with mom, though,” he added quickly. “She makes you sad and I like her better with Uncle Kiba, but it,” Boruto took a deep breath. “It would be nice if I had another mom that could be here when you had to leave for work, you know? One that could make you smile when you look at the photo albums after I’ve gone to bed.” He looked back up at his father, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. “Someone to go to bed with at night.”

Naruto held back tears as he looked at his son. He would not cry in front of him. Never again. When had Boruto grown so big? His heart swelled with love and pride and sorrow. He smiled. “I’ll think about it. Now, go get that anime.”

Grinning, Boruto saluted his father and ran to his room. Naruto leaned against his pillows. Another mom, huh?

* * *

Sasuke awoke to the chime of his phone and buried his face further into the pillows, contemplating mass murder. Mornings were not his thing—especially on his day off. Not that he really considered this a day off. There was so much work to be done for the 9:00 am board meeting tomorrow. Plus, he needed to completely clean his apartment from floor to ceiling. His phone chimed again.

Groaning, Sasuke reached over to his side table for his glasses and phone, and then rolled onto his back. He had several work emails that he’d get to later, six missed calls and a voice mail from his mother, and then a text from Itachi.

Quickly, he sent a text to his mother, telling her that his plane did not crash and he would call her sometime later this week. Maybe. He didn’t really want to deal with his mother and her endless questions about when the wedding would finally happen and when was he finally going to give her grandchildren. Having been betrothed since birth, Sasuke had grown up with Temari and thought of her like a sister. A loud, pushy sister. Certainly not someone he wanted to marry and have sex with—though, it didn’t help that he had no interest in woman at all.

Sasuke scratched his stomach, feeling the coil that always seemed to be there tighten, and pushed the thought away as he looked at his brother’s text. _Coffee?_ To which he quickly replied, _Busy_. His phone chimed a moment later, another text from Itachi, but he ignored it as he rolled onto his stomach, his mind wandering to last night.

It had been years since he had slipped into the mask that was Suke. As a teen, Suke was an imaginary woman that Temari had created to sneak Sasuke out of his father’s house and not get caught by the media. She had been an immature boy’s escape from the harsh, demanding reality of what it meant to be an Uchiha. Then university had happened and they had gone their separate ways—Temari had been accepted to a prestigious art institute and Sasuke was destined for an Ivy League university. The adult world and work had followed and Suke had disappeared into the past.

Six months ago, his father had moved their corporate headquarters to the city of Konoha where Temari already was, the city having been her home turf from the start. Sasuke and Temari where together—in person—for the first time in nearly eight years. Sure, she had called him regularly over the years, but physically seeing her—he had thought that maybe now that he was an adult man that he would feel something more for her. He didn’t. Awkwardness grew between them and then suddenly Suke was back.

Suke had no problem with touching and hugging and kissing. She could laugh freely and never felt that coil in the pit of her stomach that made it hard to breathe. Temari had fun with Suke and Suke had fun with her. Last night had been fun. They had gone to a trendy new restaurant—Suke never had a problem keeping food down—and then out to the club. They had drank and danced and then he had shown up. Naruto.

There had been such seductively dark need in the man’s eyes, so full of a deep, feral want. And something inside of Suke had responded to that. It had been more than the temporary lust Sasuke’s hand had taken care of on occasion. It had been marrow deep and so intense that Suke couldn’t think, couldn’t process what was happening. She could only act. And when their pelvises had pressed against each other and Suke saw Naruto’s eyes widen slightly in realization, the hunger between them intensified.

It was the first time that Sasuke had wished that Suke didn’t exist. He wanted it to be his body pressed against Naruto’s, his lips that the blonde devoured. He cursed the clothes and the skin that he wore. Like a starved man after his first taste of food, Sasuke was desperately hungry for more. The memory of it had his hand drifting down his stomach—dishes clattered in the kitchen.

Sasuke groaned. Temari. She had insisted upon having a key to his apartment and despite Sasuke’s reluctance, he had caved after Temari had gotten an entire bottle of Tequila into Suke. Tossing his phone and glasses back onto the side table, Sasuke slipped on some pants and a long-sleeved shirt and went out to the kitchen. Like the rest of his apartment, the kitchen was designer modern with very little clutter. Sasuke hated clutter. The counters were black marble and the cabinets glass and chrome. All of his appliances were top of the line and pure white—none of that ivory nonsense. The only real colour came from a few fake plants and the sandy blonde floating about the kitchen, humming as she cooked breakfast. Temari danced as she moved from cabinet to cabinet in a man’s flannel and shorts that clearly weren’t hers.

Absentmindedly, Sasuke wondered what all she had touched. The coil began tightening. He really needed to get his key back from her—or change the locks. Clearing his throat, he said, “I had to take a taxi home. It was disgusting.”

Temari didn’t even bat an eye. “And I bet you felt just fine after a nice, scolding hot shower.”

“I hope the sex was terrible.” Sasuke frowned. After giving Naruto his number Suke had returned to the dance floor, only to find that Temari—and her car—had vanished.

“It was fantastic.” She smiled at him. “Tea?”

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke entered the kitchen. “I’ll make it. Did you bathe after you got here?”

“No, but I washed my hands up to my elbows before touching anything. Twice.”

He scratched his stomach, hoping the pressure would keep the coil from tightening any further, and made a mental note to clean even more thoroughly after she left. Walking over to the sink, he turned the hot water all the way up and began washing his hands. His skin was red and chapped, and the antibacterial soap burned his raw flesh. The pain soothed the coil a little.

“Are you going to see him again?” he asked.

Temari shrugged and popped a grape into her mouth. “If he calls.”

“Do you want him too?”

“Yes! And, Jesus, is he surprisingly buff. Nearly creamed myself when he took his shirt off.”

Sasuke shook his head. “I don’t need to know that.”

“Virgin. How’d Suke do with that guy? You two were practically fucking on that pillar.”

He didn’t look at her as he said, “Actually, I gave him my number.”

Temari grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“And?” she asked as she began putting French toast with fresh, organic fruit on two plates.

“And nothing. We just danced and then he went home.”

Temari shut the water off. “They’re clean. Come eat and give me the details.”

“But the tea?” Sasuke dried his hands with a clean paper towel and then wiped them off with a sanitary cloth.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to eat cold toast. Sit. Details.”

“It was all right. We danced. We talked a little,” Sasuke said, sitting at the kitchen table.

One of Temari’s slender eyebrows lifted as she took in Sasuke’s appearance. His normally chaotically stylized hair was just a plain mess and his shoulders were straighter than normal. “Just all right?”

Sasuke shrugged. The coil tightening again.

“Darling, ‘all right’ does not lead to that angsty, horny mess that walked into this kitchen bitching about a taxi and then washing his hands half a million times more than usual. I know you. Something happened, now spill.”

With a roll of his eyes, he began to nibble on his breakfast before she harped at him for not eating too. “So, does that guy you hooked up with have a name?”

“Shikamaru. Don’t change the subject. What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Sasuke gave her a flat look. He hated repeating himself.

“He didn’t even try to kiss you?” Temari asked, leaning back in her chair and took a bite of French toast. “Incredible.”

Sasuke looked down at his food, busying himself with rolling a plump, green grape around half of a strawberry. The coil began twisting around his lungs and he instinctively took a subtly deeper breath.

Temari’s eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips rose in a smirk. “You’re lying.”

“I am not.”

“You’re a blushing fool!” Temari banged her hand against the table. “What happened? Tell me everything.”

“Don’t break the glass. Nothing happened,” Sasuke said more forcefully. He was done with this conversation. He rose.

“Sasuke Uchiha, don’t use that businessman tone with me. I have known you for twenty-six years. The way you danced last night—you’ve never acted like that with anyone. Something happened.”

“I’m showering. You know where the door is.”

Temari sighed as he headed toward the bathroom. “Fine, but don’t forget dinner on Friday!”

Sasuke paused and looked back at her. She was frowning, upset with him. The coil tried to wretch the air from him. “Dinner?”

She smiled sadly at him. “To celebrate me getting accepted into that gallery. My brothers are taking us to dinner. Five o’clock. Remember?”

“Of course,” he said instinctively.

“Don’t be late, okay? They have a vegetarian menu. I checked.”

“Uchihas are never late.”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes at him and as Sasuke continued toward the bathroom she called out, “Come as Suke, we’ll go to the club after. Love you!”

He closed the door behind him without responding. Sasuke waited until he heard the click of the front door locking and then counted to one hundred before going to the toilet. Instinct and self-preservation took over and he threw up the few bites he had managed to eat of her cooking. It felt like his skin was crawling. His insides burned with disgust and his hands shook. He was so dirty. The entire apartment was covered in filth. His refuge contaminated. He had to clean everything. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the presentation for the board until it was done. Fuck, there was so much to do.


	4. Faux Matter

Sasuke stepped out of the elevator and entered the executive suite offices on the forty-eighth floor of Uchiha Financial Investments. Turning sharply, he headed straight for his office. It was nearing 3:00 on Thursday afternoon and if anyone so much as looked like they wanted to speak to him he was likely to slit their throat. He had had endless non-stop meetings for the past three days, every time he turned around his brother was texting him, and his mother had left eight messages with his assistant. He saw said assistant waiting in front of his office with a can of coffee, a stack of papers, and that annoyed look she got whenever she had to speak to his mother. Make that nine messages, then.

“Karin,” Sasuke said, taking the coffee from her and entered his large, corner office. He could hear her red pumps clicking against the wood floors as she followed him, closing the door behind her.

“Your mother called _again_ ,” she began. “She wants you to call her immediately, of course.”

“Of course.” Sitting down at his desk, Sasuke grabbed a disposable sanitary cloth and cleaned off his canned coffee before opening it. “I give you permission to ignore her tenth call.”

“Very funny, Mr. Uchiha, but I don’t need your father questioning my professional abilities.”

“You’re my employee, not his. Ignore her.”

“Right.” Karin straightened her red-rimmed glasses and set a stack of files on his desk. “Your father’s secretarial department sent these over.”

Sipping his coffee, Sasuke flicked through the files. There was about twenty denied building permits, all within Konoha City. Sasuke oversaw the international departments. He raised an eyebrow and looked expectantly at his assistant.

“Apparently, the man in charge of overseeing our development within Konoha was fired this morning. Though, I think he quit before being fired, but you know how your father is. You missed a rather entertaining show, actually. Anyways, your father has given you the task of getting those permits approved.”

Sasuke rubbed his temple, he was developing a headache, and looked more closely at the files. “All of these permits look perfectly fine. Why were they denied?”

“According to our ex-employee it is because your father hasn’t shown proper respect to Mr. Namikaze.”

“Namikaze? Never heard of him.”

Karin set another file on Sasuke’s desk. “Old money is an understatement with this guy. His family has owned and operated Namikaze Corporation, or NamiCorp for short, since Konoha was first settled. From what I’ve gathered, they basically own this city, not the mayor. Nothing happens without Mr. Namikaze’s approval.”

Sasuke looked through the new file. Despite Karin’s short skirts and tight blouses, she was damn good at her job. The file was a detailed record of NamiCorp’s history and financial records. It even included family pictures and photos of NamiCorp’s top employees.”

“Why aren’t there any recent pictures of Namikaze?”

“He’s been out of the public eye for nearly thirty years,” Karin answered as she took the file from him and flipped to an old newspaper article. “There was a rather brutal massacre during a company holiday party. Over sixty reported deaths. NamiCorp security’s tightened up after that, as well as Namikaze’s hold over the city. Though, from what I’ve heard, things have relaxed a little over the past few years.”

Briefly scanning the article, Sasuke sighed. He could tell from reading it that the author, and likely all of the newspaper’s readers, was highly respectful toward Namikaze and that, at the time, the city likely saw this attack as an affront to the whole city, not just NamiCorp. He would have to proceed carefully. The Namikaze family was likely similar to the Uchiha’s—extremely hierarchical and traditional. The strategic thing to do would be to respectfully bow to Namikaze, for now, as the new corporation in town and then eventually come to equal terms. The problem was that Uchiha’s were subservient to no one. His father demanded respect; in his mind, everyone was beneath him—including his own family, who were only better than everyone else because they had the honour of carrying Uchiha blood.

“Set up a meeting with whomever we can at NamiCorp,” Sasuke said. Since his father wouldn’t go and properly introduce himself, Sasuke was just going to have to be the sacrificial lamb.

“Already did. You have an eight o’clock meeting with a Mr. Uzumaki tomorrow morning,” Karin said.

“And what do we know about Mr. Uzumaki?”

“Absolutely nothing other than he’s one of the few people in direct contact with Namikaze.”

Sasuke’s brows rose. Karin had never failed to get information. “Do we at least know what he looks like?”

“Nope. We don’t even know his first name. Curiously, it’s like that for all of those who are apparently in direct contact with Namikaze.”

“Hmm.” Sasuke contemplated calling his brother. He hated going into situations blind. Itachi was FBI now. Certainly, the government would have something on Uzumaki, wouldn’t it? He ran his fingers along his lower stomach. He really didn’t want to ask his brother for any favors. He had a feeling keeping interactions with Itachi to a minimum was probably for the best. The guy was too observant and speculative for his own good, and he didn’t entirely believe Itachi’s claim that he came to Konoha in order to reconnect with the family. Besides, Sasuke had originally hired Karin for her investigative and hacker skills, if she couldn’t find anything than he doubted Itachi could either.

“Very well,” Sasuke said, leaning back into his chair. “Anything else?”

Karin nodded and began going over things that actually pertained to the international departments he oversaw.

* * *

Opening a heavy, wooden door at the end of the dark paneled corridor, Naruto entered his office. It wasn’t the official Kyūbi’s office—no, that large, polished room at headquarters was too much for him, he would always see his parents’ bloodstains—but this small, corner room was _his_ office. It was a room of disarray and large windows. The furniture was old, mismatched pieces he had bought from various people over the years who were trying to get rid of perfectly good furniture. The bookcases were overflowing with seemingly random titles and his desk was eternally buried under a mountain range of unending paperwork.

Ignoring the men in the room, Naruto’s eyes immediately went to the small boy at his desk bent diligently over something, Shikamaru leaned over beside him. His son and clan brother were quite close and the sight of the two of them working out some difficult problem or bent over a chessboard always warmed his heart.

Boruto was wickedly intelligent, far too smart for Naruto’s world. Even though he was only turning thirteen, Boruto only spent the morning in public school for socializing purposes. In the afternoons he taught himself senior level high school subjects with the guidance of Naruto’s old guardians, Jiraiya and Tsunade, and on occasion Shikamaru. In a year or so his son would be academically ready for university, but Naruto desperately wanted Boruto to stay a child for as long as he could. He didn’t want his son to become tainted and twisted like him.

Naruto’s guardians had done their best and he didn’t blame them for his bloodstained childhood. Times were different then and he was Kyūbi. Boruto was not and, with luck, never would be.

“Hey kido,” Naruto said as he entered the room. “I thought you were helping Granny with the garden this afternoon?”

“Dad! Look what Uncle Shika got me!” Boruto jumped up from his seat and ran over to Naruto, struggling to hold the massive, open book in his thin, little arms. Boruto was self-consciously small for his age.

Kneeling down, Naruto helped his son hold onto the book. It was a heavy thing, well over eight hundred pages. Naruto speculated that even someone like Boruto could kill a person with it, or at least knock them unconscious. Excitedly, Boruto showed him the beautifully detailed pictures and in-depth texts explaining the cosmos and all things astronomical.

Naruto hugged his son to his side and listened. Much of what Boruto said was well over his father’s level of understanding, but Naruto figured that didn’t matter as much as the fact that he listened. He knew that his brethren had something important to tell the Kyūbi, but the Kyūbi didn’t matter to Boruto, Naruto mattered.

When Boruto had sufficiently winded himself with talking, Naruto said, “I guess we’ll have to get you a telescope for your birthday then, huh?”

Boruto’s pale blue eyes widened. “Really?!”

Naruto nodded, smiling. “Yeah, but I don’t know much about telescopes, so I won’t know what to get. Why don’t you go look into it for me while I talk to your uncles, and then we can discuss it after dinner?”

“Work stuff?” Boruto asked understandingly, his excitement level unaffected.

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t be too long, okay?”

Boruto thought it over for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. Spicy tofu ramen for dinner?”

Naruto nodded. “If that’s what you want. Again.”

“Yep!” And with that, Boruto bounded out of the room—or at least attempted too with the heavy book weighing him down.

Laughing softly, Naruto closed the door behind his son and shook his head. “Shika,” he said, “I think that book weighs more than him.”

“Probably,” Shikamaru admitted and took his usual place leaning against the windows behind the Kyūbi’s desk.

Crossing the room, Naruto sat in his chair, all signs of fatherly smiles gone. “So,” the Kyūbi said, “What happened?”

The three men in the room all shifted with him. The room was quiet, serious. Neji and Kiba remained silent, pensive on the couch.

“The FBI arrested Zabuza Momochi,” Shikamaru said.

The Kyūbi leaned back in his chair. Zabuza was one of the low-level sub-clan leaders and the fifth one of the Kyūbi’s men to be arrested in the past three months. The main problem was that Zabuza knew the Kyūbi personally, he knew Boruto.

“Has he talked yet?” the Kyūbi asked. He trusted Zabuza, but everyone had their weakness.

“Not yet,” Neji said. He probably already had one of his men in law enforcement representing Zabuza. It still impressed and humbled Naruto that Neji remained so utterly loyal to the Kyūbi, even after the tragic relationship he had had with Neji’s cousin and heiress to the Hyūga family, Hinata. It had been over nine years, but the Hyūgas were still on tentative terms with the Kyūbi and the Clan. Yet, Neji remained unwaveringly by his side.

The Kyūbi nodded solemnly. “Sai believes someone’s hunting us. I’m inclined to believe him.”

“And they’re starting to move further up the food chain,” Shikamaru added.

The Kyūbi got up and began pacing behind his desk as Shikamaru and Neji continued to talk. Kiba, he noted, remained quiet. This situation wasn’t good. The first to be arrested had been nothing, just a newbie being stupid. The kid didn’t know anything for them to worry about and had been quickly released, the charges against him dropped. But Zabuza knew things, and not just about this Clan, but of the Families that were loyal to it too. As the operator of an underground fighting circuit, Zabuza and his men saw and heard a lot of things over the years.

“Everyone can be broken,” Shikamaru said pointedly, repeating aloud the Kyūbi’s earlier thought.

The Kyūbi took a deep breath. “I know.”

“Zabuza is still fairly minor in the scheme of things, but he does know a lot of the higher ups in the Clan’s hierarchy,” Neji said.

“And he knows Boruto,” Shikamaru added.

“I know,” the Kyūbi repeated. Very few actually knew the Kyūbi’s true name and identity, and even fewer knew about his son.

In previous generations the Kyūbi had been more of a public figure, but after the assassinations of his parents during the NamiCorp Massacre, his guardians had initially filled in the position as a sort of pseudo-regent, for what three-year-old could make those kinds of decisions? At the time, they had decided that until his parents’ killer had been found, it was best to keep the true Kyūbi as hidden as possible.

Nearly twenty years ago, Naruto had found the assassin and not only killed him, but annihilated his entire gang. The Kyūbi then, briefly, returned to a semi-public light. Once Boruto was born, however, things changed again. Neither Naruto nor the Kyūbi would allow history to repeat itself. Boruto wouldn’t know this world any more than he had too.

“Sai and I interrogated a traitor the other night,” the Kyūbi said after a moment. “The traitor seemed more afraid of someone else than me. Sai mentioned that a new group of FBI agents have entered our territory.”

“It would explain why they’re suddenly daring to arrest clansmen,” Shikamaru said.

The Kyūbi nodded and then looked at the silent man on the couch. “I want security tightened. Bring the Pack in.”

Kiba looked up. “They’ll be here by nightfall.”

Kiba was the Inuzuka Family’s representative, also known as the Pack’s Handler. The Inuzuka Family were highly trained operatives that worked twenty-four/seven with their canine companions. They specialized in security, tracking, and investigation.

The Kyūbi gave a curt nod of approval and then turned to Neji. “Legally, what do we know?”

“Nothing that connects all of the dots,” Neji informed. “All five were arrested by different agents and the circumstances weren’t the same. The first four talked and were then let go because either the charges apparently couldn’t stick or were merely dropped. Luckily for us, they didn’t know anything worth talking about. Zabuza’s the first one with legitimate evidence against him.”

“Which is?”

“The operation of an illegal fighting ring,” Shikamaru said.

The Kyūbi resumed pacing. After a few turns, he asked, “How’s Haku taking all of this?”

“Surprisingly well,” Shikamaru said and then added, “for the moment.”

Naruto wasn’t entirely sure what the relationship was between Zabuza and his much younger companion, Haku, but he knew they were extremely close and that Haku could become emotionally violent when it came to things concerning Zabuza. The problem was that Haku was not loyal to the Kyūbi, but to Zabuza and Zabuza only. Though friendly enough when he tended the bar at Club Suna, the effeminate and highly trained fighter had made his loyalties perfectly clear when they had first met years ago.

“Shika, I want you to personally talk to Haku. He knows that you’re my left hand, an extension of the Kyūbi. Calm him and reassure him that we’re doing everything we can to get Zabuza out of the FBI’s hands without arising any suspicions that could endanger either of them.”

“And if he doesn’t listen?” Shikamaru asked.

“Then I’ll speak to him directly.”

Shikamaru nodded, knowing that if it came to it, the Kyūbi would do what he had to, even if it meant imprisoning Haku or worse.

“We need more intelligence,” the Kyūbi said. “You all know what to do.”

With a note of dismissal, Neji and Kiba left the room, closing the door behind them. Naruto moved to the couch and plopped down. He closed his eyes, knowing Shikamaru was watching him. Naruto waited, his brother apparently had something to talk about.

“Boruto’s worried about you,” Shikamaru said eventually.

Naruto stiffened. “He seemed fine earlier.”

“We talked last night.” Yesterday had been Chess Night. Every Wednesday night Shikamaru came over to Naruto’s, regardless of what was going on with the Clan, and played chess with Boruto from five until seven. As a psychologist, abet one who specialized in criminal studies, Shikamaru had said that what Boruto needed most after the divorce was love, dependability, and stability. As Boruto’s uncle, Shikamaru’s way of showing that was through Chess Night. It also gave Shikamaru a way to indirectly give his nephew counseling without making it seem like there was something wrong with Boruto—there was _nothing_ wrong with Boruto.

“Yeah?” Naruto said, staring at the ceiling. It was a warm, cherry-brown colour, stained from decades of smoking.

“Basically, he wants you to start dating again.”

Naruto groaned. “I already talked to him about this. I’m fine with it just being the two of us.”

“But what if it’s what he needs?”

With a heavy sigh, Naruto dug into his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes. He heard Shikamaru crack the window open as he lit his cigarette and took a long drag.

“As both your friend and your son’s psychologist, I think neither one of you will fully heal until you do,” Shikamaru said after it was obvious that Naruto wasn’t going to talk. “What happened was tragic and we all wish it hadn’t happened, but it did. It’s been nine years, Boruto is better now—a lot better—but you haven’t moved past it, Naruto. You have to forgive yourself.”

Naruto took another long drag and then sat up, scratching the back of his head. He watched the smoke slowly spiral up from the burning paper as he said, “You know I can’t do that. There’s no one in the Clan I can date and I’m not going to subject another woman to that.”

“You seemed to get on with that chick at the club well enough.”

Naruto raised a brow and pointedly looked at Shikamaru. His brother’s eyes widened slightly and his mouth formed a silent ‘O’. His two brothers, Shikamaru and Sai, were the only ones who knew the truth about Naruto’s sexuality—though he suspected Ino and Sakura both had their suspicions. The Clan was stubbornly traditional and therefore only believed in love between people of the opposite sex. If Naruto was anyone else, perhaps he could secretly get away with it, but there was no way in hell that the Clan would just accept a gay Kyūbi.

“So, what’s her name?” Shikamaru asked evenly.

“Suke. I don’t know if it’s just a cross dressing thing or a trans thing. Doesn’t matter, anyways. I already got rid of her number.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t already have it memorized.”

Naruto blushed slightly and looked away. Growing up on the streets he had learned how to quickly remember details and numbers. It was always a priority to get as much information about one’s surroundings and situation as quickly as possible, and then be able to perfectly recall them later. So, yeah, he had the number memorized. But that meant very little. It was still dangerous to bring an outsider into the Clan. Did he really want to subject another person to his world?

Normal people weren’t like them. He was broken and twisted. He understood that part of him fed off the hunt, the kill, the blood. He enjoyed it, took pleasure in the power. That was normal in his world, expected even. But outside the walls of NamiCorp everything was different. The people who grew up in the light detested people like him. To them he was an evil criminal, a psychotic freak, an abomination. Who could love that?

With a shake of his head, Naruto stood. “It doesn’t matter.”

Shikamaru looked at Naruto for a long moment. Naruto knew his brother was trying to figure out whether or not to keep pushing the conversation. It was pointless. Naruto wasn’t going to change his mind regardless of how many times they played it out. They both knew that there were too many risks involved, too many ways it could go wrong, and the odds were heavily against Naruto.

Sighing, Shikamaru said, “You matter, Naruto.”

“That’s where we disagree.” Naruto took another long drag of his cigarette and left the room.


	5. Sweat Slick Skin

Rain poured down as Sasuke pulled up to the large, wroth-iron gates of NamiCorp. It certainly wasn’t what he expected. Uchiha Investments took up one of the largest skyscrapers in the city’s center. It was modern, sleek, and shiny. NamiCorp was situated near the docks and looked about as old as the city itself. Beyond the gates Sasuke could see a large central bell tower surrounded by a multi-story building in the shape of a serif U.

A guard with a large dog walked over to Sasuke’s window and knocked. When Sasuke rolled the window down slightly, the guard said, “Identification and purpose of your visit?”

“Sasuke Uchiha. I’ve a meeting with Mr. Uzumaki,” Sasuke said, pulling out his driver’s license and handing it to the guard.

The man nodded and walked back over to the guard box while the dog circled Sasuke’s car, sniffing it. Sasuke rolled up his window and grabbed a tissue from the glove compartment, drying the side of his door. He took a deep breath. He had been feeling off since waking up this morning. His head was a little foggy and he just felt…wrong. He couldn’t fully explain it. Probably didn’t help that he didn’t leave the office until one this morning so he didn’t get to bed until three and then got up again at five thirty.

The guard knocked on the window. Sasuke rolled it back down. “You’re clear Mr. Uchiha. You’ll be going to the right, building sixteen.”

“Thank you,” Sasuke said, taking his license back and rolling his window up.

He redried the door as the guard and dog returned to the guard box and the gates opened. Pulling forward, Sasuke turned toward the right. As he followed along the road, he got a better look at NamiCorp. It was like no other corporation he had ever been too. Some businesses, like Uchiha Industries, were in large corporate buildings, others in business parks or sectors. If he didn’t know any better, NamiCorp looked like an old plaza surrounded by townhouses and shops. He even passed a sign for a place called _the_ _Anbu Café,_ and the sign above the red door to building sixteen read _The Sannin Dojo_.

Sasuke frowned, the coil in the pit of his stomach twitched slightly. Did he mishear the guard? He looked at his watch; it was five to eight. He was expected to meet Mr. Uzumaki at 8:00am sharp and Uchiha’s were never late.

Pulling up to the curb, Sasuke parked and turned off his car. He looked up at the gray sky. The rain didn’t look like it was going to let up any time soon. Damn it. He hated the rain. Who knew what kind of filth that water carried? Sasuke grabbed his umbrella and opened it as he got out of the car. Even with the earthy, wet smell of rain, Sasuke caught a faint scent of lilac and spice permeating the air. The scent seemed vaguely familiar. It had a soothing effect on him, the coil settling down.

As he approached the dojo the door was opened by a friendly looking blonde woman wearing a floral dress. “Mr. Uchiha, welcome,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter.

Sasuke gave her a polite nod and closed his umbrella, placing it in the umbrella cart near the door. “I’m here to see Mr. Uzumaki.”

“Right this way.” The woman walked down a long, narrow corridor. What appear to be martial arts class photos lined the walls of dark wood paneling that looked several centuries old. Opening a door at the very end of the corridor, the woman said, “Nar, your eight o’clock is here.”

She stepped aside, allowing Sasuke to enter as a shirtless man with his back to the door waved them in. The room was large and brightly lit, but Sasuke couldn’t take his eyes off of the man.

The man’s blonde hair was a little long, pulled back messily with a rubber band. His back was slick with sweat and covered in an extremely detailed depiction of a nine-tailed fox in black and orange ink, and his gray sweatpants hung low on his hips. His arms were covered in scars and his biceps also carried several tattoos. This was the infamous Mr. Uzumaki?! The sight of him made Sasuke’s insides twist with disgust. The man looked like a common thug.

“Mr. Uchiha, what can I do for you?” Mr. Uzumaki said, wiping his face with a towel before hanging it around his neck.

Sasuke straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. Despite the coil retightening in his stomach, he had a job to do. He was an Uchiha. “I’m here-”

“Leave us,” Mr. Uzumaki deep voice sliced through the room.

Sasuke blinked and then noticed that several other people were in the room. The speed in which they vacated it was eerily efficient. It took less than ten seconds for all of the doors to close, the two of them left completely alone in the room.

“So, it’s short for Sasuke,” Mr. Uzumaki said, turning around.

“What is?” Sasuke asked, forcing his tone to sound bored. Outwardly, Sasuke remained unchanged. Inside he could feel bile rising to the back of his mouth. His skin crawled and the coil inside tightened so fiercely he couldn’t breathe. It was the guy from the club. What had his name been? Fuck!

“Ah,” the man said with a smile that had the coil inside Sasuke doing strange things. Sasuke couldn’t tell if it was tightening or loosening. He approached Sasuke. “That’s how we’re going to play this game.”

Sasuke frowned. “What game? Mr. Uzumaki, I believe you have me confused with someone else.”

“Naruto, in case you forgot, Suke.”

“Sasuke Uchiha.” He took a step back. “I believe you’ve confused me with someone else.”

Naruto slowly looked Sasuke over appreciatively and then paused at his eyes. Blue stared into near black and for some reason the coil began to loosen, just a little. Breathing became manageable. It was strange. They weren’t touching or speaking, just… looking. Yet, somehow it calmed the turmoil inside of Sasuke.

“Okay,” Naruto said softly after several minutes.

“Okay,” Sasuke whispered back.

Naruto looked to the side and then stepped away. Turning, he walked over to a bench. “So, you’re the sacrificial messenger concerning those denied building permits. Your old man too stubborn to come to me?”

“They’re my responsibility.”

“No, they’re not. You oversee the international departments.” Naruto plopped down on the bench and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a drink. A droplet of water fell from the corner of his mouth and Sasuke found himself watching it trail down Naruto’s firm chest and disappear into another tattoo, this one a strange swirling design around the man’s navel. Sasuke licked his lips and looked away.

“Could you perhaps put a shirt on, Mr. Uzumaki? This is extraordinarily unprofessional.”

“Unfortunately, my shirt’s in the locker rooms. But if you’re truly that distracted by my nudity, why don’t you give me yours? I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing you topless.”

Sasuke responded with a glare.

Sighing, Naruto leaned against the wall. “Shame.”

“This meeting is pointless.” Sasuke turned to leave, oddly conscious of his reluctance to do so.

When he reached the door, Naruto quietly said, “I wanted to call you.”

Sasuke’s hand stilled above the handle. He was quiet for a moment and then lowered his hand. “Why didn’t you?”

Silence stretched between them and just when he was about to continue on his way, Sasuke’s phone vibrated. It was a text from an unknown number. Sasuke looked over his shoulder. Naruto was looking at his own phone, his broad shoulders curved downward. The sight struck him. The man Suke had danced with at the club had certainly been an alpha, but one who enjoyed a challenge. Naruto had seemed relaxed in his skin, confident, and in control. Sasuke got the impression that the man effortlessly ruled his world and those in it.

Sasuke looked down at the text. _A lot of reasons, but mostly it boils down to cowardice._ He raised an eyebrow. Despite Suke’s drunkenness that night at the club, then and now, he never got the impression that Naruto was prone to weakness.

Hesitantly, Sasuke typed, _I didn’t peg you for the fearful sort._

 _No, I don’t think many would_ , Naruto replied a moment later.

_But you are?_

_Yeah, every damn day. Aren’t you?_

Sasuke worried his bottom lip. He thought about the coil that ate away at him every day, twisting and untwisting and twisting again, tighter than before. He thought about his family and how he was merely an adequate replacement for an heir that had been perfect. About the fiancée who wanted him to love her and the brother who wanted to help even though nothing was wrong.

Lowering his phone, Sasuke quietly admitted, “I’m tired.”

Fingers intertwined with his. He could feel the heat of them even through his leather gloves. With a gentle tug, Sasuke followed that hand, but he didn’t look at the man attached to it. They re-entered the corridor and then turned up a set of curved stairs. The second floor looked much like the first, but with more doors. At the end of the corridor they entered a small office overcrowded with bookcases, mismatched furniture, and paperwork. It smelled like lilac and a faint hint of cigarette smoke. It smelled like Naruto. His internal coil relaxed.

The hand led him over to an orange and green stripped couch that had clearly seen better days. Sasuke stared at it. He expected the coil to tighten. When was the last time that couch was cleaned? Was that a stain on the arm? But the coil remained relaxed in the pit of his belly and he sat down. It was surprisingly comfortable. An old crocheted blanket was placed a crossed his lap. The orange, brown, and yellow pattern looked like it was from the 1970s.

“You like the colour orange?” Sasuke asked, running a gloved hand over the threaded strands. He wondered what they felt like.

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” At the awkwardness in his voice, Sasuke looked up. Naruto was watching Sasuke’s fingers. “It’s soft.”

“Looks it.”

Their eyes met. Naruto’s eyes were such a pure blue, so clean and clear. There was strength and authority etched in every line of his face. Naruto was a rock, stable and sturdy against the ocean storm hidden beneath the façade that was Sasuke. Yet, as he looked more closely, there were lines appearing around those blue orbs. He wasn’t the only one who was tired. Wordlessly, Sasuke reached up and pulled the other man onto the couch.

“I’m dirty,” Naruto said as he plopped down.

Sasuke ignored him and pulled out his phone, setting an alarm for one hour—he couldn’t be late to his next meeting. He set the phone on the coffee table in front of them, and then Sasuke laid his head on Naruto’s lap and closed his eyes. He could smell the sweat and musk of the man, but it didn’t bother him. Normally, he hated people’s body odor, their stench, but Naruto’s soothed him into sleep. That strangeness he had felt earlier, that sense of off-ness, dissipated as his eyes drifted shut.

* * *

When his alarm chimed an hour later, Sasuke practically slapped it off the coffee table. He hated waking up and his eyes didn’t want to open. A soft chuckle brought his consciousness to the surface and Sasuke opened his eyes to see Naruto silence the alarm as he sat down on the coffee table. Sasuke’s brows crinkled. Hadn’t Naruto been…? He reached up and felt a pillow beneath his head. The other man must have gotten up at some point whilst Sasuke slept so soundly he hadn’t noticed. Sitting up, Sasuke examined Naruto more closely. His blonde hair was damp, the ends rising upwards as they dried, and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He must have showered.

“I’ll talk to Namikaze about your building permits,” Naruto said and then smirked. “We’ll have to set up another meeting.”

Namikaze? Building permits? Sasuke blinked, his brain was slow to fully wake. How long had it been since he had slept so deeply?

Naruto licked his lips. “Quit that or I’ll kiss you.”

“Quit what?”

The words were hardly out of his mouth before Naruto’s lips crashed against his. He froze. He had never kissed anyone before as Sasuke—as himself. He expected to feel disgust, revolted that another person, dirty and male, was not only touching him but kissing him. He expected the coil to tighten, bile to rise, and his lungs to malfunction. He waited. The lips softened against his, became more coxing, and Sasuke found himself kissing back. It wasn’t the intensely consuming kiss that he had experienced as Suke, but slower, gentler. It was as if Naruto was savoring the taste of him, allowing each brush of lips and tongue to linger slightly longer than the last.

A knock on the door had them springing apart.

“Naruto? Your 9:30 is here.” It was the woman who had greeted Sasuke at the door. She appeared to be Naruto’s secretary.

“Thanks, Ino,” Naruto called, a blush coloring his cheeks and neck. “I’m just wrapping things up. I’ll be down in a bit.”

“Alright.”

They listened to the sharp clicking of her heels fade away as she left.

Clearing his throat, Naruto stood. “I’ll call you later about another meeting.”

Sasuke noted a change in Naruto’s tone; it became harder, distant. It made the coil inside twitch. Standing, Sasuke pocketed his phone. He looked at Naruto. The blue had darkened around the edges. It was less pure there, colder.

“No, you won’t,” Sasuke said quietly, but firmly. Turning, he walked out of the office.

* * *

Naruto watched him go. Part of him wanted to follow, to see what this pull for the other man was. This pull that had yanked at him as soon as he had heard Suke’s voice. When he had turned to look at Suke and had found Sasuke instead the pull had intensified tenfold. He could not blame it on the alcohol this time. He wanted to follow, to understand this desire, this need to understand those lifeless black eyes that had occasionally sparked with light. But the darkness was calling him. His 9:30 was waiting and Naruto had a feeling it was going to be a bloodbath. His fingers itched with excitement.


	6. Blood Poisoning

Sasuke couldn’t breathe. The coil had taken that ability away from him the moment he entered his office. He should have seen the lack of Karin outside as a warning and run like hell in the opposite direction. She had no reason to be inside his office—unless, of course, she was busy serving tea to his mother and brother. The two unwanted visitors sat in the black leather chairs that circled a glass coffee table off to the side. They both smiled at him as Sasuke entered. Their smiles were too big, too full of false cheer.

“Itachi, mother, what are you doing here?” Sasuke asked neutrally and walked to his desk, setting his briefcase down, and trying desperately to relax the coil enough to make breathing manageable.

“Can’t a mother visit her son?” his mother asked sweetly, too sweetly. She was up to something.

“We don’t have a scheduled meeting and I’m on my way out.” Though it was only three in the afternoon, it wasn’t a lie. Sasuke had made sure he could leave early to prepare for dinner with Temari and her brothers. If Suke was going to be there he would need an hour to dress.

“Can’t you spare mom and me a little time?” Itachi asked. “You’ve been ignoring both of us all week.”

“If father is too busy to entertain you, what makes you think I’m any less? Or did you forget that I run half of this company in your stead?” Sasuke snapped. He was trying to keep his hands from shaking as he exchanged some of the paperwork in his briefcase. Focus on breathing, Sasuke, everything is fine.

“Sasuke! That was uncalled for,” his mother reproached as she took Itachi’s hands in hers. “Apologize.”

“It’s fine mom. He’s right,” Itachi soothed and then looked at Sasuke. “We’re sorry for coming unannounced, but we’re both worried about you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

“Mom said you’ve been wearing gloves since you were fifteen-”

“I’m late,” Sasuke interrupted, closing his briefcase a little too sharply. “Since you can find your way in easily enough, I’m sure you can find you own way out.”

“Sasuke, this is serious!” his mother said. “We’re worried about you.”

Sasuke looked his mother straight in the eyes, though his vision blurred at the edges. Calmly, he said, “Enough, mother. You weren’t worried when I was fifteen; you’re not worried now. Don’t try to play the good mother for Itachi, you’re a terrible actress.” He turned his cold gaze to his brother. “And you, you’ve made us strangers, live with your consequences. Karin?”

“Yes, sir?” His red headed assistant raised her head; she had been trying to disappear into the corner as soon as Sasuke entered the room.

“In the future, bar any other unwanted visitors from entering my office without a scheduled meeting. If father has an issue with that, then he can take it up with me. Understand?”

Everyone began talking at once, all of it directed at Sasuke. He ignored it and walked as gracefully out of the office as he could. His head was spinning. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Oxygen, he needed oxygen. Jamming the elevator button, Sasuke stepped into the elevator unseeingly and collided with a jumble of limbs and lavender. There was a high-pitched squeak and papers fluttered upwards as Sasuke and the floral ligaments crashed onto the softly carpeted elevator floor.

The elevator doors dinged as they closed and Sasuke scurried to his feet, his head spinning. “I’m sorry, are you alright?”

A familiar blonde woman in a floral dress looked up at him with a deep blush. There were three of her. “Yeah, you’re pretty soft compared to the guys I’m used to bumping into.”

Sasuke attempted to glare, but he was finding it difficult to focus as he collected the fallen papers. Uchihas were never defined as soft. Taking a deep breath, he said, “You’re Mr. Uzumaki’s secretary, correct?”

“Yep, my name’s Ino.” She paused and tilted her head slightly. “You look like you could use a drink.”

Sasuke swallowed the bile that collected in the back of his mouth. “I’m fine.”

“If you say so.” Ino took the papers he handed her and started rearranging them. “If you’re heading down, so am I.”

Pushing the button for the first-floor lobby and then the executive parking garage, Sasuke asked, “I take it you were looking for me, then?”

“Yep.” She handed him the reorganized papers. “Naruto was going to have a runner deliver these to you, but I volunteered.” She grinned. “Who’s Suke?”

The fuzzy darkness that had been hovering around his peripheral suddenly rushed him. His ears buzzed and the world seemed to move slowly and sway upwards. Someone swore but then Sasuke’s body again collided with something hard and he knew nothing more.

* * *

Sakura paced between a pair of obnoxiously expensive floral arrangements in the lobby of Uchiha Financial Industries. Her feet and back were sore from her long shift at the hospital and she was ready to get out of her scrubs and relax at whatever club the gang was going to be at. She groaned when her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out. It was Ino.

“What’s taking you so long?” Sakura said in greeting. “You said this was gonna be a quick drop off.”

“Quit your bitching and come to the executive elevator.” Ino’s panicked tone sent a cold shiver through Sakura. Hurriedly, she made her way toward the elevator, trying to not draw too much attention.

“Is everything alright?”

“No.” Ino hung up.

As she reached the executive elevator the doors opened and Sakura’s eyes immediately fell on the man lying on the ground. Sakura quickly went to him and checked for a pulse as Ino rapidly jammed the close doors button.

“What did you do to him?” Sakura snapped. If Ino pulled her into clan work she was going to kill the woman. The man’s pulse was rapid, but slowing.

“Nothing!” Ino said as the elevator began to descend. “This isn’t what you think. I just came to drop off some papers from NamiCorp, nothing shady, I promise.”

“Then why is he on the floor?”

“I don’t know! We were talking, I handed him the papers, and then he fainted.”

“We need to take him to the hospital.”

“No!” Ino shook her head as the elevator doors opened to an underground parking garage. “We’ll take him to yours. Help me lift him.”

Sighing, Sakura helped Ino. The guy was surprisingly light for how tall he was. She frowned. At a healthy weight he should be much heavier than this. “If this isn’t clan business, why can’t we take him to the hospital?”

Ino rolled her eyes as they shuffled into the garage. “You really need to get out more. This guy’s Sasuke Uchiha, he’s big in the media right now. If we take him to the hospital, it’ll get leaked and the paparazzi will be everywhere.”

“Let’s set him on that bench until we find his car.” Sakura nodded to a bench near the elevator. “And so what? If it’s not clan business, what does it matter?”

“Because I’m pretty sure he’s also the chick Naruto was dancing with last Saturday.”

Sakura’s eyes widened and she nearly dropped the man. “What!?”

“Shh! Keep it down! A place this fancy probably has guards.” Carefully, they set Sasuke down and Ino began riffling through his pockets as she continued. “They had a meeting this morning and you know how Nar’s pretty open door when it comes to Nami stuff, well he had everyone leave as soon as this guy started talking. So, obviously I eavesdropped.”

“Obviously.” Sakura rolled her eyes.

Grinning, Ino pulled out a set of fancy keys and started clicking the lock and unlock buttons as she glanced around the garage. “Yes, obviously. Anyways, I heard Nar refer to this guy as Suke, which totally isn’t a guy name, and I’m pretty confident they were making out in Naruto’s office before Uchiha here left. There’s his car. I’ll go get it.”

Sakura nodded as Ino jogged away and then began inspecting Sasuke more closely. People didn’t just faint for no reason and it worried her that his heartrate still hadn’t fully gone down. Grabbing his arm, she pulled up his sleeve, but paused when she saw how red and chapped the skin was. It was too damaged to adequately test for dehydration. Removing his glove, Sakura saw that his hands were even worse. The skin had likely peeled, bled, and scabbed repeatedly. She had never seen dry skin so bad before.

Yanking Sasuke’s shirt up, Sakura ignored the swollen scratch marks that were starting to scab over on Sasuke’s belly and attempted to pinch the skin, but the man was so skinny that it was difficult to grip. She managed somehow and watched the skin. It returned to form too slowly. Sakura cursed. Sasuke Uchiha was dehydrated, likely suffering from malnutrition considering how skinny he was, and Sakura didn’t even want to dig into the reasons for his overly chapped hands and scratched up stomach. How was this mess of a human the same chick Naruto had been dancing with? Did Naruto know?

Sakura replaced Sasuke’s clothing and stood as Ino pulled up in a sleek black car. The platinum blonde quickly got out and helped Sakura put Sasuke in the back seat. They then got in the front and Ino drove out of the garage. Sakura nibbled her bottom lip.

“You’re not going to get in trouble,” Ino said as she glanced over. “This has nothing to do with the clan.”

Sakura shook her head. “It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“Um,” she hesitated and then asked quietly, “How’s he doing these days?”

The air between the two women thickened. Nobody talked about what had happened, but none of them were idiots. Those closest to Naruto saw how it had affected him, how it still affects him, even though he desperately tries to hide it. At the club last week Naruto had seemed fine, normal even, but Sakura knew better. Naruto’s walls were always the highest when Hinata was around.

Ino sighed heavily. “I don’t know.” She hesitated. “Shikamaru says to just let Naruto be, but I’m worried. He’s still here. He still acts like normal, but somehow…” Ino shook her head. “I don’t know, he just seems sort of, not hollow, but faded? I guess? Why?”

“Are you sure Sasuke was that woman?”

“No? It’s just a hunch, really.”

“Then we should take him to the hospital. This guy has some major issues. He needs help,” Sakura said.

“Can’t you help him?”

“I don’t think I’m qualified enough for what he needs.”

Ino frowned and was quiet as the hospital Sakura lived near came into view. The traffic light turned red and Ino stopped, nibbling on her bottom lip. When the light turned green, the cars around them began to move.

“Ino?” Sakura asked as those behind them started honking.

“No,” Ino said firmly and pulled into the turn lane, driving away from the hospital. “You’re going to do it, Sakura. There was something different about Naruto today, something changed after Uchiha’s visit.”

“Ino-”

“No!” Ino shot her a watery-eyed glare. “You might’ve abandoned the clan, but don’t abandon Naruto. Had anyone else been Kyūbi you’d be dead for what you’ve done.”

Sakura frowned and looked away. Ino was right, but it still stung. Sakura had been born into the clan; her whole family had been loyal to the Kyūbi for generations. She understood the clan and what it stood for, but she couldn’t handle the darker side of it. Sakura didn’t want to end lives, but save them. True, she could have been a clan doctor, but that would mean turning a blind eye to those who weren’t clansmen. She couldn’t do that, it would’ve torn her apart. The problem was that no one left the clan. It was too much of a risk letting someone go that knew about the clan, that was doubly so for someone who grew up in it. Leaving the clan should have meant death, but Naruto had not only pardoned her, but also remained friends with her.

“Are you sure this guy can help Naruto heal?” Sakura quietly asked.

“Yes,” Ino said firmly.

“Okay.” Sakura raised her head. “I’ll help.”


	7. Panic Scars

“It’s serious. Likely a maelstrom of disorders.”

Maelstrom of disorders? What is?

“Not to mention the physical problems.”

Physical problems?

“What should we do?”

Sasuke groaned. His body felt lethargic and heavy, and his head was pounding. He didn’t want to open his eyes, but the voices were unfamiliar. Where was he? Forcing himself into a sitting position, Sasuke rubbed his eyes and then froze at the feel of skin against skin. His eyes snapped open and he looked down. His raw, scared hands were exposed, his shirt was unbuttoned and his feet were bare. Sasuke stood and then crashed to the floor, his knees giving out. Where were his gloves? His shoes? Where the fuck was he!?

He looked around but everything was a blur. The coil sprung from his belly and wrapped around his throat like a noose. His heart pounded in his ears. Gloves. Shoes. He had to get out of here. He couldn’t let anyone see. Who had seen? Who knew? He had to leave. Now.

“Mr. Uchiha, calm down, everything’s okay,” a soft voice said. He saw a smudge of pink but he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. He had to go. Warm hands wrapped around his bicep and Sasuke lashed out, throwing himself backwards.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” His back slammed against something hard, pain shot through his spine. He kept looking around. Nothing made sense. Where was the exit? His gloves? His shoes? Something approached. Sasuke swung at it. “GET AWAY!”

“Shh, it’s okay, Mr. Uchiha,” a gentle, motherly voice said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“DON’T TOUCH ME! I’LL KILL YOU.”

“We need to calm him down. Sakura, do you have any sedatives?” A male voice, the one that had talked about the maelstrom.

“NO!” Sasuke shouted. “STAY BACK!”

“You need to calm down-”

“What the hell is going on here?” The deep, smooth voice cut through Sasuke’s mind like a hot knife through butter. Sasuke’s eyes went to it, clear blue surrounded by sunshine gold.

“Na-”

“Everyone out,” Naruto said as Sasuke’s vision came into focus. He watched Naruto snatch a pair of gloves out of a pink haired woman’s hands and then glare coldly as the three people—two women and a man—walked out of the room. When the door closed behind him, Naruto’s gaze moved to Sasuke and immediately softened. Wordlessly, Naruto walked over to Sasuke, his steps firm and steady, their eyes never parting. He stopped about a foot away and kneeled down, setting the black gloves between them.

Sasuke lowered his gaze and snatched up the gloves, putting them on. He flinched back when a hand came into view, but Naruto ignored it and began rebuttoning Sasuke’s shirt, being careful not to have any skin contact. Naruto’s slow, easy movements were soothing to Sasuke’s fried nerves and he felt the coil loosening as it slithered back down to his belly. Reaching to the foot of the bed, Naruto picked up Sasuke’s loafers and black socks, setting them in front of Sasuke and then waited for the other man to put them on.

When Sasuke had finished redressing, he said, “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Naruto said gently.

Sasuke looked up at the other man, Naruto’s blue eyes looked back, but they held no pity, no worry, no judgement. Naruto just looked and for once Sasuke felt like someone actually saw him—not Suke, not an Uchiha, but him, Sasuke. Leaning forward, Sasuke rested his forehead against Naruto’s broad shoulder.

He expected to feel dirty, contaminated from his unfamiliar surroundings, but Sasuke felt nothing—not nothing as in emptiness, but just… Sasuke sighed, unable to define what he felt, and closed his eyes. He could smell lilac and musk with a hint of cigarette smoke, he could smell Naruto, and his body relaxed. They stayed like that for who knows how long. Neither talked or moved. The only contact was Sasuke’s forehead pressed against the soft fabric of Naruto’s t-shirt. Sasuke felt his heart slow to a calm, steady rhythm. The coil faded away.

* * *

Shikamaru watched Sakura pace in the living room of her tiny apartment. How was she not exhausted from all that walking? He certainly would be. Hell, this whole situation was already exhausting enough. He had gotten the call from the girls an hour ago and immediately came over. It didn’t take long for Shikamaru to realise Sasuke Uchiha was a psychological mess. It was obvious the guy was germophobic, but that type of phobia was often paired with OCD and depression. The dehydration, malnutrition, and damage to his overly washed hands signaled that it was severe. The repeated scratching of Sasuke’s stomach also worried Shikamaru—a nervous tick or some type of self-harm?

“Naruto shouldn’t be alone with him,” Sakura said as she turned to pace the other way.

Shikamaru sighed and stapled his fingers. He wasn’t so sure about that. The change in Sasuke at the sound of Naruto’s voice had been subtle, but immediate. Before Naruto entered the room Shikamaru was worried that Uchiha had been on the verge of a psychotic break, he was in a no better mental state than a terrified animal. But when Naruto spoke Shikamaru saw Sasuke’s eyes come into focus.

“No,” Ino said, she was curled up on the end of Sakura’s couch. “I think he’s the only one who can be.”

Sakura stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean? That guy is nuts!”

“You’re very good with the physical stuff, Sakura,” Ino said, “but you’re oblivious to the emotional stuff.”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed, but Shikamaru spoke before she could, “Ino’s right. Just like with Hinata and Boruto, I think Naruto’s the only one who can be there right now.”

“And who’s going to be there for Naruto?” Sakura snapped.

“Us,” Ino said softly.

Shikamaru shook his head. “No, we aren’t what he needs.”

“Then who?” Ino frowned.

Shikamaru’s eyes flickered to the closed bedroom door and then back to the girls, but he didn’t respond. Who indeed?

* * *

A loud grumble made Naruto laugh. “Hungry?”

“A little,” Sasuke said, burying his face further into Naruto’s shoulder to hide his blush. How had his stomach been so loud?

“There’s a really good burger joint down the street?”

Sasuke mumbled into Naruto’s shirt.

“What’s that?”

Sitting up, Sasuke looked off to the side. “I’m vegetarian.”

“Oh, uh…” Naruto looked stumped for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he grinned. “Waffles. Waffles are vegetarian, right?”

Sasuke couldn’t help but smile a little. “Yeah, those are vegetarian.”

“Awesome. The gang was telling me about how I missed out on this wicked waffle house last weekend.” Naruto stood, but didn’t offer his hand. “Let’s go.”

Sasuke should have been relieved at the lack of pressure to touch, but instead it annoyed him. He shot Naruto a glare, but there was no heat to it. “Then help me up.”

Rolling his eyes, Naruto assisted Sasuke up and then lead the way out of the room. They were no longer touching, but Sasuke was close enough to still feel Naruto’s warmth. It was an easy, comfortable distance.

“All right you sorry lot,” Naruto said as they entered a small, cramped living room. “Get up, you’re buying us waffles.”

“Why do we have to pay?” Ino groaned as she stood.

“You kidnapped him, now you have to take responsibility and feed us.”

“Shouldn’t we just have to feed him? You came here willingly.”

“Packaged deal,” Naruto said as he headed out of the apartment.

Shikamaru watched as Sasuke seemed to move naturally with Naruto, like an electron moving in tune with a proton, completely unaware of what he was doing. He looked over to Sakura and whispered, “Take the opportunity to observe them—without the judgment of Sasuke’s physical problems.”

Sakura reluctantly nodded and followed the two men out.

* * *

“Sorry, I gotta take this,” Naruto said as he looked at his phone and stood. The back of his hand brushed against Sasuke’s arm as he stepped away from their table. They had gone to a trendy waffle house that had an industrial-chic style, and the group fell into a casual, yet humorous, conversation, though Sasuke didn’t participate much. With Naruto present Sasuke had felt more at ease at the restaurant than he ever had. The food, which was delicious, wasn’t even making him nauseous. But as Naruto moved out of sight and three pairs of eyes bore down on him, Sasuke began to feel that coil resurface.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke asked, “So how long have you all known each other?”

“Pretty much since-” Ino began pleasantly before Sakura cut in.

“Why are you germophobic?”

“Sakura!” Ino hissed.

“Fine. Why do you cross dress?” Sakura said, her tone more like an order to answer than a curious question.

The coil spun in his stomach, but Sasuke forced it to stay put and hefted a cold glare at the pink haired girl. “To keep my privacy.”

“So, you put on makeup and a skirt?”

“Sakura, you’re being bitchy,” Ino snapped.

“What’s so bitchy about wanting to get to know the guy? Or do you prefer woman?”

Sasuke’s hands shook in his lap and just as the coil was about to spring into action a warm hand gently squeezed his shoulder.

“We all have our masks, Sakura,” Naruto said calmly as he sat down. “So, you shouldn’t force someone to remove their’s unless you’re willing to bare all as well.”

Sakura blushed and looked away, frowning.

“Now, since you have forcefully torn part of Sasuke’s away, I think it’s only fair if we remove some of ours. Ino, do you have those makeup-y things in your handbag?”

Ino nodded and Sasuke watched, confused, as Naruto took a small white cloth from her and rubbed his cheeks with it. Slowly, the white turned coppery-tan and six thin white scars appeared, three on each cheek. Ino then took another make-up removing cloth and whipped along her throat, revealing a jagged, ugly scar along the side of her neck.

“Troublesome,” Shikamaru sighed as he removed the leather bands from his wrists, revealing a pair of uneven scares that wrapped around each wrist.

“This is ridiculous.” Sakura stood, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the waffle house.

Nobody said a word and Sasuke could feel the tension thickening. He looked between the three-remaining people, none of them what he expected. Though Shikamaru and Ino didn’t calm the coil like Naruto did, Sasuke didn’t see any judgment in them either. They weren’t forcing him, but merely took what was offered. Sasuke looked down at his gloved hands. He was well aware of what the skin beneath looked like—raw and chapped and constantly bleeding and then scabbing over. His hands were ugly, but he couldn’t help the need to feel clean, to scrub harder, deeper, in an attempt to remove all of the filth.

He couldn’t remove his gloves, but…Sasuke’s eyes drifted to his cuffs. Taking a deep breath, he undid one and then the other, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. The skin on his forearms wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t as bad as his hands either. Looking up he saw Naruto smiling softly at him.

“Want another coffee?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke gave a nod, “Sure.”


	8. Numbness

Naruto watched as Sasuke’s car pulled into the underground parking garage of a high-class apartment building. He and Shikamaru had followed to make sure Sasuke got home all right. Sasuke had said he’d be fine, despite the late hour, but Naruto could see how exhausted the guy was and had insisted.

“Awfully protective of someone you hardly know and have no interest in,” Shikamaru said as they pulled away from the building and headed down to the docks, where NamiCorp and home was.

“Don’t start,” Naruto said.

“Fine.” Shikamaru was quiet for a moment. “Talked to Haku.”

“And?”

“He was awfully understanding.”

Naruto sighed. Awfully understanding people were usually up to something. “Is someone keeping an eye on him?”

“Of course.” The space between them fell into silence as the skyscrapers shrank into old, historic buildings. When the silence broke, Shikamaru said, “Be careful.”

Naruto gave his brother a side-glare, knowing Shikamaru wasn’t referring to the situation with Haku. “Weren’t you the one telling me to go for it this morning?”

“I didn’t know about his problems. Did you?”

“I had my suspicions.” The gloves and sanitary wipes had been something of a giveaway.

Shikamaru sighed.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Naruto’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “But they’re not the same.”

“How do you know? You’ve only known him since Saturday.”

“It feels different.”

“Different how?”

“I dunno.” Naruto shrugged. “Just different.”

Shikamaru gave a nod and looked out the window. Naruto was relieved his brother didn’t ask him to delve in any deeper. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to. Being with Sasuke was easy, like breathing. Even tonight. He had gotten the text from Shikamaru explaining what the girls had done and rushed over to Sakura’s. When he saw Sasuke in such a terrified state he didn’t feel helpless, he had nearly seen red. Yet he had also felt relief. Sasuke was afraid, yes, but he was fighting, he hadn’t given up. Nothing was worse than feeling helpless to help someone who had given up.

* * *

Sasuke shut the door and slid the deadbolt into place. He smiled softly. For once he didn’t feel the need to shower, to wash away the outside world. He didn’t feel contaminated. The coil was there, but still. He was exhausted, though, but not as bone deep as it usually was. He somehow felt a little lighter than usual. It was…nice.

The lights flicked on in the living room and Sasuke’s head snapped up. Temari stood in a green cocktail dress, her arms crossed, and the make-up around her eyes had smudged and tread down her cheeks. Sasuke’s eyes widened. Fuck. Dinner. The coil twisted around his gut and his skin crawled.

“I saw you,” Temari snapped. “I saw you at that waffle house.”

Sasuke frowned and watched as fresh tears sprung from her eyes.

Temari looked at Sasuke’s forearms, his sleeves were still rolled up. “You never show skin. Not even when it’s just the two of us.”

Lowering his eyes to the floor, Sasuke’s arm unconsciously wrapped around his stomach, his fingers digging into his skin. He didn’t know what to say. He had fucked up. Uchihas never fuck up. The coil made its way to his throat and he began to feel light headed. He didn’t know what to do, what to say to make this better.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Sasuke forced his eyes to meet hers and he felt a numbness wash over him. He knew he should feel bad for missing dinner. This was his fiancée, the woman he was supposed to love and cherish above all others. But he didn’t. He didn’t feel anything except the numbness and the coil, and somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that should frighten him. The numbness should be terrifying. But all he wanted to do was bathe.

“I’m going to shower,” Sasuke said flatly.

Temari’s eyes widened. “That’s it?”

Sasuke quietly slipped his shoes off and walked into the bathroom, the door closed firmly behind him.

* * *

The numbness was still present when Sasuke awoke Saturday morning, along with the coil that seemed permanently twisted around his insides. He cleaned his entire apartment three times and showered nine, but the coil didn’t loosen and the scolding water didn’t burn.

* * *

Sunday was the same twice over. He got a text from Naruto and threw his phone across the room. It shattered and he had to clean his whole apartment again.

* * *

Monday morning saw him at the airport and he left for a two-week non-stop business trip.

* * *

A month later he told his mother to begin planning the wedding with Temari. He would play the good husband. The ugly scabbing had begun to spread across the rest of his body by then.

* * *

Naruto had sent several texts during that time. They all went unanswered. Even Ino’s attempts to set up a meeting to discuss the building permits had been denied. About a week after the waffle house they found out that Zabuza was getting transferred to a high security prison out of the city. Naruto rushed over to Haku’s. The apartment was a wreck and he found Haku sat calmly in the living room sharpening a long, thick needle.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath and then walked over. The Kyūbi righted a chair in front of Haku and sat down. “You know I can’t let you go.”

“You don’t own me,” Haku replied flatly.

“I can’t let you leave.” The Kyūbi let the implication linger between them as the two men stared at each other. He didn’t want to do this, but he knew Haku wouldn’t come with him quietly—hell, he wouldn’t either if their places were reversed. That didn’t change the situation, though. He couldn’t risk Haku getting caught. He knew the man would talk if it meant saving Zabuza in any way. The Kyūbi would not put his people at risk, he would not endanger his son.

“Are you going to shoot me?” Haku asked.

“I wouldn’t do you the dishonor.”

Haku nodded and leaned back in his chair. They were quiet for a time and then Haku sighed. “You know, I did like you. Despite your position you were a pretty cool guy. Not like the other Jinchūriki.”

“I thought of you as a friend too.”

The two men fell into silence again. The Kyūbi looked around the room. Everything was destroyed. There was no sign of a single picture or trinket that could lead back to Haku or Zabuza’s existence.

“You really trash the place,” Kyūbi said.

“No evidence.”

“Saved my guys some work. We’ll burn it later.”

Haku nodded and looked around, then his eyes centered on the Kyūbi. “Make sure we’re together in the end, Zabuza and me.”

“I give you my word.”

The two men stood. There was no more stalling the inevitable. Neither wanted to kill the other, they were friends after all, but neither would do the other the dishonor of a half assed fight. It was not a subtle battle, nor a particularly long one. They had both grown up in the ring and on the streets. They were born predators. They knew how to kill.

When it was over, the Kyūbi sat on the ground with Haku in his arms. His shoulder was dislocated and he had long needles sticking out of his thigh and back. He did not cry, not for the dead friend in his arms, nor for himself. The normal adrenaline high that came from the fight did not affect him. He felt nothing at all as he stared unseeingly ahead of him, except for the dead weight of the cooling body in his arms.

After several minutes Sai stepped out of the shadows and knelt beside the Kyūbi. He placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. There was nothing to say. Nothing that could console the feeling of killing a friend. Sai knew that burden all too well. He could support the Kyūbi through thick and thin, but there was nothing he could do about the feeling of nothingness that came with a kill like this.

“Sai?” the Kyūbi said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m here.”

The Kyūbi gently laid the body down and stood. His voice was firmer when he spoke again and gave the order, “Zabuza does not leave Konoha.”


	9. Oxygen

Sasuke stood in the middle of the gallery and stared at a large painting of the Uchiha crest. Small squares had been cut out of the painting and if the viewer looked just right, they’d see another painting further in the gallery. He supposed he should feel somewhat annoyed that his fiancée had made him the subject for her show, but as usual he felt nothing at all. It had been six months since he felt anything besides the coil twisting and wiggling in his gut. This was just his normal now.

“Please tell me I’m not going to see a naked painting of you,” Itachi jested as he came to stand beside his brother.

Sasuke looked over, but said nothing. Itachi had backed off since their impromptu meeting, but their relationship hadn’t improved. If anything, they had come to a standstill.

“It wouldn’t hurt you to talk to me,” Itachi said.

Sasuke shrugged. “I have nothing to say.”

“You’re getting married soon. That’s exciting, huh?”

His eyes drifted over to Temari. She was talking to her brothers over by a painting of a pile of leather gloves splattered with dirt. Their relationship had taken a massive hit, but she seemed happier now. She often talked excitedly about the wedding planning and Sasuke tried to give adequate input. The problem was that he didn’t care. Not about the wedding or about her. He used to though. He used to love her; she was his family more than any of the Uchihas. Now she was nothing to him. He knew that should scare him, but try as he might, he just didn’t feel anything.

She saw him looking at her and smiled.

Sasuke gave her a nod and then looked back at the painting before him.

“You’re lucky,” Itachi said. “She loves you.”

Sasuke grabbed a glass of champagne from a server as she passed and drank half of it. As he did one of the cut-out squares filled with bright sunshine and Sasuke’s eyes widened.

“Sas, I know-”

“Hold this,” Sasuke said, handing Itachi the glass and walking quickly around the painting.

“Sasuke?”

His eyes scanned the sea of black and white formal dressed people scattered around the hanging canvases. Where had that colour gone? Like a desert scavenger he searched for it, that drop of water that his parched lips hungered for. He needed it, like he had never needed anything before. He felt his heart speed up for the first time in months, his world spun. There. Out of the corner of his eye he saw it. Sasuke weaved through the people and followed the glances of rich blonde hair to the back of the gallery.

Sasuke’s steps slowed as he came to the back of the gallery. It was far more open here than in the front, where all of the paintings except one were. The single painting here was a small one-foot by one-foot canvas that hung from the ceiling with no support besides a thin string. The painting remained still, but any fluctuations in the air would make it sway. It was a painting of Sasuke as a child, but it held no attention for Sasuke. His eyes were on the broad shoulders of the man standing in front of it.

Air. It was like breathing air after holding your breath for too long. His head felt light and his feet moved, but when the man turned around Sasuke froze. Those eyes, those clear blue eyes were dull, as if the blue had been dragged through the mud. And for once Sasuke’s heart clenched in sorrow. It tore at him to see those eyes, so much like the ones he saw in the mirror every morning. The coil twisted inside, but for once it wasn’t for him.

Sasuke took the final steps forward and stood beside Naruto. Neither man said a word, what was there to say? They hardly knew each other, yet for some reason the proximity of the other eased something in both of them.

Temari came to stand next to Itachi as they both watched the two men from a distance. It was undeniable. She had seen a similar reaction in her fiancé months ago from the window of the waffle house. It hurt more than she wanted to admit that it wasn’t her that put Sasuke at ease. She had loved him for as long as she could remember and, growing up, had often cursed fate for wiring him differently. She had tried to make the best of these past few months, but she couldn’t ignore the disconnect in Sasuke. Not just from her, but from everything.

“Who is he?” Itachi asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Temari admitted. “But he’s the only one who comforts Sasuke.” She took a deep breath. “Itachi, I made a mistake.”

Itachi dragged his eyes from his brother and looked at the woman who had been like a little sister to him. “What happened?”

“A few months ago, Sasuke missed a dinner with me. He never misses anything. I was so worried. On the way home from the restaurant I saw him. He was with that man and a few others. They were laughing. Itachi, his sleeves were rolled up. Anyone at that table could’ve seen the scaring. I was so shocked and then I got so mad and hurt. I said things, I blamed him, and I don’t know. He just,” Temari shrugged. “He just shut down.”

Itachi frowned. “It’s gotten worse, hasn’t it? The germaphobia?”

Temari nodded. “He won’t even let me see him without his gloves on anymore. I’m not allowed in his apartment either; he changed the locks. He’s lost weight too, a lot.”

Itachi looked over at his brother. The tension in Sasuke seemed to have washed away and even though the two men weren’t touching there was no mistaking the undeniable pull they had on each other. This was no mere platonic connection. Which was an issue, their father hated homosexuality with a passion. As Sasuke’s brother, Itachi would fight for him. He wanted his little brother to get better, to be happy. What worried him, however, was that that blonde had appeared in a number of photographs during his investigation of the mythical Kyūbi mafia.

Sasuke felt a small, warm hand wrap around his and he looked down into the clear blue eyes of a child with a mane of bright blonde hair and a nervous smile. The boy looked about eight or nine. He waited for the recoil, the disgust. Sasuke had always disliked children, they were filthy. But he did not tense up, the coil didn’t respond. The child’s smile grew and he grabbed the hand of the man he looked so much like. Sasuke looked at Naruto’s bare left hand, then back to the child, and then up to Naruto questioningly.

Naruto seemed to understand and he shook his head before kneeling down to the boy. “This is my son, Boruto. He’s usually not this familiar with strangers. Boruto, this is, um…”

“Sasuke,” he said, looking down at the boy—Naruto’s son. Something twisted inside of Sasuke, it wasn’t the coil and it wasn’t unpleasant.

Boruto gave his hand a squeeze. “Are you the man in all of the paintings?”

“Um, I guess?” Sasuke looked down. Most of the paintings didn’t directly have him in them and those that did only had a portion of him. Temari had insisted that no one would realise that he was the subject of her gallery.

“You’re fucked up,” Boruto said bluntly. Sasuke stepped back.

“Boruto!” Naruto gave a low warning, but his son was unfazed.

“But it’s ok, so is my dad.”

Sasuke’s looked at Naruto, who frowned and looked away. The boy’s words echoed in his mind. It’s okay. He felt his eyes warm, but he took a deep breath, holding it back and knelt down. He turned to Boruto and quietly asked, “And what if I’m so fucked up I can’t be fixed?”

Boruto shrugged, “Then maybe you don’t need fixing. Maybe you’re fine just the way you are.”

Sasuke felt the ground slip from underneath him and his butt crashed to the floor. How long had he waited to hear those words? His world spun, unhinged by the boy’s words, so simply said as if they were so obvious. He still held onto Boruto’s hand and he gave it a desperate squeeze as he closed his eyes, holding back the roaring in his head and in his heart. He felt a much larger hand take his other, intertwining their fingers. Naruto. Warmth from both of the blondes’ hands seeped through the leather gloves and into Sasuke’s skin. It spread up his arms and into his bones. Though he was exhausted, he felt awake for the first time in months—he _felt_.

Itachi stepped forward as Sasuke sat on the ground, but a firm hand wrapped around his arm. How had he never realized just how broken his little brother was? This was his little brother. He would protect Sasuke. Itachi tugged, but the grip remained firm.

“Don’t,” a gravelly male voice snapped Itachi to attention and he looked at Temari’s younger brother, Gaara.

“You do best to let go of my arm,” Itachi warned.

“You chose a different path. You can’t save him anymore.” Those cold jade eyes stilled Itachi’s struggle.

His investigation often lead him to Gaara’s _Club Suna_ as a nexus for the underground leaders of Konoha. He knew that Temari’s brother knew things, but he had yet to figure out how to approach him without creating tension between their families. “What do you know?”

“I know you’ve been sniffing around my club, Agent Uchiha, and that maybe _my family_ isn’t the one you should be investigating.”

Itachi’s brows rose. “If I were you, I’d watch what I was implying.”

“I imply nothing,” Gaara said, letting go of Itachi’s arm and looked over at Sasuke. “It’s just that sixteen years is a long time to miss. A lot can change.” Scratching the back of his neck, Gaara looked pointedly at Itachi and then signaled to his sister that they were walking away.

Itachi watched them go and then once again looked at his brother. Gaara had implied that the Uchiha’s were dirty. Sasuke had been a messy child, always filthy. Something significant would have to have happened to cause the manifestation of such serious germaphobia. What had their father dragged Sasuke into? As he watched his brother a couple approached them—a beautiful woman with long, platinum blonde hair and a dark haired man with lifeless eyes.

“Hey,” Ino said softly, leaning down to the group on the gallery floor. “Why don’t we get out of here? People are gonna notice you lot on the floor soon.”

Sasuke looked up at her. He didn’t want to let go of Naruto or Boruto’s hands. He didn’t want them to leave yet. His panic must have been obvious.

“You’re coming with us too, right?” Ino’s voice was gentle, like what a mother’s should be.

He looked at Naruto who gave his hand a squeeze and stood. As Naruto went to pull Sasuke up, Ino stepped forward and hurriedly said, “Careful of his shoulder.” Sasuke’s eyes snapped to Naruto, who glared coldly at Ino.

“I’m fine,” Naruto said, his voice huskier than Sasuke remembered, and tugged Sasuke to his feet.

Ino was unfazed. “You would be if you gave it proper rest.” She turned to Sasuke. “He dislocated it several months ago.”

Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto, his hands trailing up the taunt muscle beneath Naruto’s dress shirt. He could feel subtle tremors vibrate through Naruto.

Naruto cleared his throat and picked Boruto up, effortlessly putting the child on his hip. He then grabbed Sasuke’s hand and headed out of the gallery. “Let’s go.”

“Dad, I’m thirteen, I can walk on my own!” Boruto argued.

“Not fast enough,” was Naruto’s tart response.

Sasuke just walked with Naruto, followed by Ino and the silent man he didn’t know. He got the impression that Naruto was barely holding it together. As they left the gallery he spotted Temari, still with her brothers Gaara and Kankuro. The coil immediately tightened inside, but then she gave him a warm smile and waved goodbye. Sasuke mouthed ‘Thank you’ and left the gallery.

* * *

Sasuke sat in the back of a black SUV with Naruto and a sleeping Boruto in between them as they pulled into NamiCorp through an employee-only entrance. He watched as Ino, who was driving, put her hand onto a pad. After her hand had been scanned, the heavy steel gates unlocked and opened. As they drove passed the first gate, they then came to a secondary gate, this one guarded by heavily armed men. Sasuke blinked. He didn’t even think the government had such tight, high-tech security when it game to seeing the Hokage.

Surprisingly, the guards did not approach the vehicle, like they had when Sasuke had come though the main entrance. The silent man, who Ino had introduced as her boyfriend Sai, merely rolled down his tinted window and nodded to the guards. The guards nodded back and let them through.

“Should they not have checked the vehicle?” Sasuke asked once they were fully passed the guard station.

“Normally,” Ino said, “But Sai’s head of security.”

“Oh.” Sasuke glanced over to Naruto, but he kept his eyes trained on the window, as he had the whole ride.

As they pulled into an underground garage, Naruto finally spoke. “Sai, Boruto and Kurama are sleeping at yours.”

“Okay,” Sai replied, speaking for the first time. His voice was soft and deep, Sasuke barely heard it.

“Kurama?” Sasuke asked.

“Boruto’s dog,” Ino supplied, parking. “I’m coming too, Sai.”

“Okay,” Sai said again and got out.

Ino smiled warmly at him and rolled her eyes before looking back at Sasuke. “He takes awhile to warm up to people he doesn’t know.”

Sasuke nodded in understanding and got out with everyone else. Naruto once again picked up Boruto, this time argumentless in his sleep, and they all headed out of the garage. Like with the walk too the car, Sasuke noted that Sai and Ino did not walk beside Naruto, but behind and a little to the side, as if they were both flanking him, guarding him. The group walked in silence out of the garage and into a small plaza surrounded by townhouses. It was nearing midnight and most of the houses’ lights were off, but the stars shined brightly, illuminating the way. Sasuke paused to look up at the sky. It had been a long time since he had seen it. Even at his penthouse apartment the city sky was hazed over, but for some reason the sky over NamiCorp, near the docks, was mostly clear.

Naruto paused and looked back at Sasuke, his pale skin illuminated by moonlight. The sight shifted something in Naruto, as it had back at the gallery. He wasn’t sure if it was the man himself or the strong painkillers Ino had forced him to take earlier, but Naruto could feel every nerve in his body sizzling. He was on edge, barely holding it together. He needed to feel Sasuke against him tonight, in any capacity the other would man would have him. He wasn’t thinking about the risks, about how this would change everything, because he couldn’t risk letting this opportunity go. For some reason he couldn’t understand, he needed this stranger in his life, the fog of the past few months had made that perfectly clear. Naruto wasn’t a fool. He knew he was reaching his limits and he couldn’t afford to break.


	10. Contradictory Contamination

Sasuke looked around the living room of Naruto’s townhouse as the man said his goodnights to Boruto and the others. It wasn’t as big or luxurious as Sasuke had expected. From all accounts NamiCorp was an extremely successful corporation and Mr. Uzumaki was near the top. Certainly, he had to be paid well? Yet, the room Sasuke stood in was middle-class at best. The couch was warn-in with a blanket and pillow tossed on one end, as if someone often slept there. There was a day-old cup of coffee on the coffee table, which was covered in cheap coasters and newspapers. The walls were covered in faded wallpaper and framed photographs. And there was an ancient square TV in the corner.

“You look a little lost,” Naruto leaned against the doorway and watched Sasuke.

Sasuke turned to him and saw heat swarm those blue eyes he had often dreamed of over the past few months. “You’re a contradiction that I can’t quite figure out,” Sasuke said honestly.

Naruto nodded to the TV. “Old systems look terrible on new TVs.”

“Ever thought about upgrading to a newer council?”

With a smirk, Naruto said, “It’s in Boruto’s room.”

Sasuke nodded in recognition and looked around the room one last time before his eyes returned to the man in the doorway. It wasn’t exactly awkward and the coil remained still, but Sasuke was at a loss of what to do. The dark hunger in those blue eyes reverberated within him and he felt his body respond in kind, but he was sober and Suke was nowhere to be found.

Naruto wet his lips and Sasuke found his eyes captivated by the soft appendage. He wanted this man and there was no one here to stop him, to judge him, to tell him it was wrong. Why was he hesitating? Uchihas did not hesitate. He took a step forward. Naruto stepped back.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and took another step forward.

Naruto understood the challenge and stood his ground as he gave a low warning, “Get too close and I’ll make you so dirty no amount of bathing will wash it away.”

Sasuke’s skin prickled with the heat of Naruto’s dark promise and he felt warmth pool between his legs. He took another step forward; they were within arm’s reach.

“I’ll break you.”

Sasuke smirked and took the final step. “If they couldn’t break me, what makes you think you can?”

Grabbing Naruto by his tie, Sasuke yanked him forward and smashed their lips together. They devoured each other, teeth clanking and tongues tasting every millimeter of each other’s mouths. The intense desire he had felt as Suke was drowned out by the transcendent need that burned within him now. He ground his hips against Naruto’s, feeling the delicious friction that sent shockwaves of pleasure through his body. Naruto moaned into Sasuke’s mouth.

There was a sharp cracking sound and a quick pain in Sasuke’s cheek. He flinched back. A dark, breathy growl left Naruto’s lips at the loss of Sasuke’s touch. Sasuke’s eyes dilated at the sight of the beast before him. Naruto’s fingers had dug into the doorframe, shattering the wood. His arms shook with the effort to hold himself back and the blue of his eyes had turned nearly black with lust.

Sasuke watched the trembling power in the blonde’s body and felt empowered. He was used to ruling the corporate world, finances and the rich elite were his to dictate over. But the darkness that seemed to breath into Naruto was something he had never been able to get a handle on. Sasuke wasn’t a fool. He knew there was more to Naruto Uzumaki than the man let on. Naruto ruled his world with absolute authority, yet Sasuke had lowered him to a shaking, barely contained beast with a mere kiss.

Smirking, Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s shirt and tore it open, leaving the tie in place—a beast needed a collar, didn’t it? More wood splinters clattered to the floor. Sasuke’s gaze ate the sight before him.

Naruto’s toned muscles heaved with the effort to keep himself in control, to keep his breathing even, but it was proving more difficult than he had expected. Since the beginning, Naruto had felt the intense pull toward the dark-haired man who now stood before him. But that had been as Suke. The clothes and makeup seemed to have dampened the man’s affect. Naruto licked his lips at the sight of the cut from the wood splinter on that pale cheek. He wanted to tear into the man, to make him wither and bleed, make him scream himself horse, make him break.

He had never experienced a sexual desire so intense before. Even with what he had managed—after a few hours of solitary porn-watching—with Hinata, it had been boringly vanilla. He had always been afraid of hurting her; she had been so delicate and fragile from the very beginning. Sasuke was anything but fragile. He may be annoyingly covered from the neck down. He may be scared. He may be mentally fucked up. But he was anything but fragile. The challenging heat in those dark eyes dared Naruto to try, and he dug his bleeding fingers even farther into the doorframe.

Sasuke’s eyes drifted lazily down the bruised muscles of Naruto’s torso. It looked like the man had been in a fight recently. The thought made his cock strain impossibly more against his black trousers. He stepped back into the beast’s space and touched the quivering muscles. Naruto hissed at the sensation.

“Take the damn gloves off,” Naruto snarled.

Sasuke looked back up into those liquid blue eyes and smirked. “No.”

“Sasuke,” Naruto warned.

“Na-ru-to,” Sasuke teased coolly and then dropped to his knees, ripped Naruto’s pants open, and devoured him in one swift motion.

Naruto threw his head back and practically roared. More wood splinters clattered to the floor around Sasuke. He smirked around Naruto’s cock and looked up; he could see the veins in Naruto’s throat pulse as the blonde struggled to maintain some semblance of control. He wanted to snap that last thread of control in half. He decided to start slowly. He pulled his mouth back to the tip of Naruto’s length and lazily stroked the head with his tongue. Sasuke could taste Naruto’s essence, warm and a little bitter. He swallowed it greedily.

It was all Naruto could do not to slam his hips forward and force his cock into that hot, heavenly abyss. He had only received head twice, neither time to completion, and those had both been poor excuses compared to the skill of Sasuke’s tongue alone. When he felt firm hands grip his ass and slam him forward, Naruto nearly came. Then Sasuke returned to the slow teasing of his tip and Naruto glared down, his gaze met with mischievous eyes. Fuck. Sasuke was going to kill him.

Naruto released his death grip on the doorframe and went to grab that black hair. He was done with the teasing. A knock on the door stilled his fingers, just a hair’s width from that pale skin. He fisted his hand and slammed it into the wall. Frustration mirrored in the eyes of the man at his feet.

Sighing in annoyance, Sasuke let go of the hardened appendage and sat back on his heels. “Do you often get visitors at this time of night?”

“Unfortunately,” Naruto said through his teeth and proceeded to tuck himself back into his slightly ruined pants as another knock sounded.

Sasuke stood. “Should I go?” He didn’t want to, but if it was NamiCorp business he probably wasn’t allowed within earshot.

Naruto shook his head and cupped Sasuke’s jaw, pulling the man closer. Naruto licked the drying blood from the cut on Sasuke’s cheek and then whispered heatedly in his ear, “Don’t even think about leaving before I’ve finished with you.”

Sasuke shivered at the dark promise in Naruto’s voice.

“My room’s upstairs. First door on the left.”

With a nod, Sasuke turned and headed upstairs.

Naruto took a deep breath and attempted to calm himself before he turned and made the few steps over to the front door. He was going to murder whomever stopped him from getting properly laid for the first time in thirteen years. Unfortunately, he couldn’t kill the man who stood on his stoop.

“What?” Naruto snapped, letting Shikamaru into the entryway, but barring him from further entering his house. His brother took in Naruto’s crossed arms and torn clothing, he likely still had a slight bulge in his pants too.

“So, it’s true, then. Sasuke Uchiha’s here.” Shikamaru said.

“I didn’t know Sai had such a loose mouth.”

“He didn’t until he found out who Uchiha’s brother is.”

Naruto stilled. “Who?”

Shikamaru pulled a photo out of his back pocket and gave it to him. It was a long-haired man, older than Naruto but probably not quite into his forties yet. He looked remarkably like the man upstairs, but his face was a little longer, a little harsher.

“Agent Itachi Uchiha of the FBI.”

Naruto crumpled the photo.

“He moved to Konoha this year,” Shikamaru continued, leaving the obvious unstated. The Kyūbi owned the normal Konoha agents, as well as most of the police force. Agent Uchiha was part of the group who had moved in and started hunting them. He was a threat to the clan, to Boruto. Naruto subtly took a deep breath, forcing himself not to show any emotion. It meant he had to distance himself from Sasuke.


	11. Little Truths

Sasuke listened to the floorboards creak as Naruto paced downstairs. Shikamaru had left some time ago. Despite that the men had talked quietly, Sasuke had heard enough. He had always had excellent hearing. So, his brother was investigating NamiCorp? He had never believed that Itachi was here to reconnect with his family. Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck.

No, not NamiCorp. Business-wise, Namikaze Corporation was surprisingly public with everything they did. Yet, the NamiCorp complex, the way it housed its employees, the heavily guarded gates. Sasuke looked at the stairs. The way Ino and Sai seemed to guard Naruto. There was more here than NamiCorp let on and Sasuke had a sinking feeling it was a world he was all too familiar with from back home.

He felt the coil twisting inside and his skin began to crawl. He squeezed his eyes closed and the whisper to bathe, to scrub his skin raw, began to creep into his mind.

Naruto quietly made his way upstairs several minutes later. He knew what he had to do, but goddamn it, there wasn’t a single fiber in his body that wanted to. He was pissed. Pissed at Shikamaru. Pissed at Itachi Uchiha. Pissed at his parents for leaving him with this life. He was pissed at everything. Naruto’s steps slowed as his bedroom doorway came into view. Sasuke was leaning against the open door, sat on the floor. His eyes were shut and his brow glistened with a thin layer of sweat. But what disturbed Naruto was that Sasuke’s hand dug into his stomach, clawing at the skin, as if trying to force something to stay down. Naruto’s mind whirled. Not again. He couldn’t lose someone again to the madness. The thought of losing Sasuke pissed him off even more.

“Stop,” Naruto ordered as he came to the top of the steps.

Sasuke’s eyes snapped opened and he glared defiantly at Naruto. Uzumaki was filthy. Tainted. He would not let the man contaminate him further.

“I don’t recall telling you to break yourself.” Naruto stopped in front of Sasuke and returned the glare. “Stand up.”

Willing his body to remain where he was, Sasuke spat, “I don’t take orders from your kind.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed and in a split second he had grabbed Sasuke by the throat and hauled him up the door. “You’ve no idea what my kind is.”

Sasuke struggled for air and leveled him with a glare. “You’re just like Orochimaru.”

Snarling, Naruto pulled Sasuke from the door and then slammed him back into it. “Don’t ever compare that snake to me! He is nothing more than a bug beneath my shoe.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened at the ferocity in Naruto’s voice, the air leaving him as his body slammed against the door. This was no mere beast. Before him was a demon king, wrathful and deadly, and something in Sasuke’s mind clung onto that fact. Could this man be more powerful than Orochimaru? Could he dare to hope? No, it was useless. Orochimaru’s filth was inescapable.

Naruto’s eyes seemed to have read something in Sasuke’s. He suddenly released the other and ordered, “Undress.”

Sasuke coughed slightly as air rushed into his lungs, but maintained his glare. “No.”

Snarling, Naruto forced himself to take a step back and a deep breath. He couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him like this, he couldn’t let this desperation consume him. He had to make sure Sasuke was unmarked. He looked away for a moment until he had gotten himself under control and then once again turned to Sasuke. “Undress.”

“Do it yourself,” Sasuke said, squaring his shoulders. He didn’t know why he had said it. He had never willingly allowed someone to see him naked before. His skin screamed to be washed and the coil threatened to choke him, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this was it. This was the moment that would either break him or save him. And for some reason he had put it all on Naruto, a complete stranger.

Naruto stepped forward, his eyes met Sasuke and he immediately understood the significance of this moment. Gently, he took Sasuke’s hand and slowly pulled the leather glove off. He could feel the sexual heat flair between them, but he forced himself to ignore it. This was not the time. Instead of smooth ivory skin, Sasuke’s hand was blistering red. To say it was merely chapped was putting it mildly. Several layers of skin had peeled away and the places where his fingers bent were bloodied and thickly scabbed over, as if the scab had been continuously torn off.

Next he removed Sasuke’s other glove, it was much of the same. He looked down at those hands for several minutes, holding them in his own. They were cool to the touch, their fingers long and thin. Despite the outside damage, Naruto could see the strength in those hands. He had felt it when Sasuke had grabbed him earlier. Bringing those hands up to his lips, Naruto kissed each finger in turn and then each palm. He couldn’t help himself, they were so grotesquely beautiful.

Lowering Sasuke’s hands, Naruto’s slid up Sasuke’s arms, feeling the lean muscle beneath the fabric, and then slid Sasuke’s suit jacket over surprisingly broad shoulders. The material hit the floor with a soft thud. Naruto loosen Sasuke’s tie, it joined the jacket a moment later. As Naruto’s fingers undid the buttons of Sasuke’s dress shirt, one tiny button at a time, he felt himself begin to shake with the same hunger from before. He pushed it down, but it defiantly remained.

Sasuke’s torso was not as defined as Naruto’s, but it was not soft either. It was, however, terrifyingly thin, despite the layer of lean muscle. The smooth skin that pulled over Sasuke’s ribcage had only begun to redden and chap, the damage nowhere near the same as Sasuke’s hands. When was the last time Sasuke ate a full meal? The thought tugged at Naruto as his eyes drifted downwards, following the trail of dark hair to where Sasuke had dug into his own skin. Blood smeared across the exposed skin and beneath it years of scars. Naruto ghosted his fingers over them. Sasuke hissed, his eyes closing, yet Naruto also saw the twitch between Sasuke’s legs as he took pleasure in the pain.

This man was so damaged and so beautiful—his skin was torn and scared, he was smeared with blood, and when Sasuke opened his hard, black eyes, so guarded and fierce, daring the blonde to say a word against him, Naruto felt himself getting pulled in. Lightly, he brushed his lips against Sasuke’s, neither man closing their eyes. The kiss was soft, gentle. There was no devouring rush to it like earlier, just the teasing brush of lips and the awareness of each other.

“I’m not going to break,” Sasuke whispered against Naruto’s lips.

“No,” Naruto agreed. “You’re not.” His lips left Sasuke’s and travelled down the column of his pale throat. He heard Sasuke’s shirt join the pile on the floor, but he didn’t know if it was his doing or Sasuke’s. He didn’t care. Sasuke moaned and tilted his head, exposing more of his skin, his hair sliding to the side. That’s when Naruto saw it—a triad of black droplets surrounded by ancient script tattooed to the back of Sasuke’s neck, the mark of Orochimaru’s children.

Naruto pulled away with a frown and moved Sasuke’s hair to get a better look. He felt Sasuke tense. The tattoo was a little faded, at least ten years old. Naruto found it hard to swallow. He had heard the rumors of what Orochimaru did with his children and how he purchased them. According to rumor, they were always young and always beautiful. No wonder Sasuke developed an unhealthy need to over-bathe. The thought made Naruto want to bite down on the tattoo and rip it from Sasuke’s skin.

“I don’t belong to him,” Sasuke whispered harshly, the hatred clearly evident.

Naruto lowered Sasuke’s hair and met the other man’s gaze. “I know. I’m sure he desperately tried to tame you, though.”

“I can’t be tamed.”

Naruto smirked, “We’ll see about that.”

Eyes widening, Sasuke took a step back. There was a promise in Naruto’s words that he didn’t know how to process. “But my brother?”

“I see you were eavesdropping,” Naruto said with a raised eyebrow.

“Or maybe you just need to learn to speak more quietly.”

“Apparently. C’mon.”

Sasuke looked down at Naruto’s offered hand and then up at the man’s blue eyes. They were no longer filled with dark lust, nor demonic anger. They weren’t quite the clear blue that Sasuke longed for either. Sasuke could see the bags under Naruto’s eyes. The man was obviously exhausted and it made the blonde look older. He wanted to take Naruto’s hand, more desperately than he cared to admit, but he needed to know where they stood.

“I’m not going to rat on you to him,” Sasuke said. “I honestly hardly know him anymore.”

“Because of Orochimaru?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. He really didn’t want to talk about that bastard. The mere mention of him made Sasuke’s skin crawl.

“If you want to tear into something, tear into me,” Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke’s hand and moving it to his own stomach.

Sasuke looked down at his bloodied fingers and then down to his own stomach. He hadn’t realized he was scratching. The action had become so automatic and mechanical to him. Returning his gaze to his fingers, Sasuke watched as his blood smeared across the spiral tattoo on Naruto’s tanned stomach. Something twisted inside of him, but it wasn’t the coil, this was darker, heavier, greedy. His fingers dug into that taunt skin, he could feel the muscles quiver beneath his nails, but he did not pierce the flesh.

“I can take it,” Naruto whispered. “Your pain, your anger, your fear—give it to me.”

Sasuke’s eyes flickered up to Naruto’s. Could he hope? Could this man actually accept someone as disgustingly twisted and contaminated as him? Warmth filled Sasuke’s eyes, but he held it back. “Fuck me,” he ordered, “Fuck him out of me.”


	12. Clarity

Naruto awoke to the smell of coffee and the warmth of a firm body against him. It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one. It was nothing like when he was married. Back then he often left for work shortly after sex. It was a rare occasion that he woke up next to Hinata—she had been a snuggler, and it had always increased his sense of guilt. Sasuke did not snuggle. He was fast asleep on his stomach, his face buried in the pillows, and his side pressed against Naruto’s. It was a comfortable amount of skin contact.

He let his mind drift to last night. He was sure he looked like he got into a serious cat fight, but… Naruto smiled smugly. He wasn’t sure if he could ever be satisfied with just any back-alley transaction, let alone his hand again. Sex with his ex had been a lackluster chore at best and far too safe to ever satisfy the Kyūbi. He was bred for the world he ruled—a harsh, bloody hell of pain and domination. He needed someone who could sink into the darkness and not only challenge him, but give into that twisted desire as well. Apparently Sasuke had been looking for that too.

Naruto didn’t think it was merely because Sasuke was male, though that definitely helped. There was just something about the dark-haired man that called to both the Kyūbi and to Naruto. Sasuke took all that he gave and then dared him to give harder, to push more fiercely, to let go of everything holding him back. It was kind of… a relief.

He didn’t really talk about sex with his brothers—the whole sexuality thing made it awkward—but Ino sure liked to blab about it. From what he had gathered, she and Sai had a very gentle, intimate relationship, which, in the back of his mind, had always worried him. In terms of job requirements, Sai’s were the closest to the Kyūbi’s. If anyone was going to be as black-souled as him it would be Sai. Yet his brother didn’t seem to need the same thing he did. It had frightened Naruto that maybe he was too twisted to be with anyone. But Sasuke Uchiha, who his dark, twisted world had been forced upon, wanted it too. Sasuke was born normal, bred for the world of sunlight. Yet he hungered for the same thing Naruto did.

The clattering of dishes pulled Naruto from his thoughts. Apparently his brothers weren’t going to wait out the morning for a meeting. Sighing, he pushed himself from the bed, his body groaning in protest, and shuffled into the bathroom. He didn’t bother with the lights as he quickly brushed his teeth and showered. His shoulder was stiff and he wished he had more time to soak it under the hot stream, but Sai was prone to walking in rooms unannounced. He didn’t think a naked, sleeping Sasuke would appreciate that much. Drying off, Naruto slipped a pair of sweatpants on and then grabbed a clean pair of sweatpants and a shirt, leaving them folded on the side table next to Sasuke. He’d let the man sleep.

Naruto met Sai on the stairs and wordlessly shooed his brother back down into the kitchen. Shikamaru was cooking bacon and sausages. He frowned in annoyance at the sight of Naruto.

“Don’t start,” Naruto said as he shuffled over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, adding amaretto creamer. Grabbing his pack of cigarettes off the counter, he asked, “Do I have any fruit?”

Sai raised an eyebrow. “You don’t eat fruit.”

“Sasuke’s vegetarian.”

“No blowjobs for you, then,” Sai quipped and went over to the fridge to check.

Naruto choked on his coffee. “Sai!”

“Yes, you have questioningly edible fruit.”

“If it doesn’t have mold or black spots it’s probably fine. I went shopping recently, just didn’t know if Boruto ate it all yet. He’s on a fruit kick.”

“As long as he doesn’t kick you, fruitcake.”

Naruto lit a cigarette, smiling. “I’m swear, I’m gonna kick your ass one of these days.”

“You two are taking this awfully lightly,” Shikamaru said as he transferred the meat onto a plate and set in on the kitchen table.

“And you’re being hypocritical, Shika. Aren’t you the one who was always telling me to get laid?”

“I’m pretty sure everyone was telling you that and I doubt any of them meant an FBI agent’s brother.”

Naruto took a drag of his cigarette and moved to the table with his coffee. “I doubt any of them meant a guy, actually.”

Shikamaru leveled him a firm look, as if Naruto had gone insane. Maybe he had, he was feeling particularly jolly, considering the heavy conversation his brothers were here to have.

Sighing, Naruto leaned back in his chair, “He’s not in with Agent Uchiha. I trust him.”

“I can’t believe you’re thinking with your dick.”

The Kyūbi squared his shoulders and glared coldly at his brother, but before he managed to say anything, a sharp voice came from behind him.

“He’s not.”

The three clansmen turned to look at the tall, stoic figure in the archway. Sasuke was clad in the clothes Naruto had set out for him, though they were a little big on his underweight frame. It was a strange juxtaposition—the clothes with his cold, takes-no-bullshit look. Sasuke’s steely gaze was on Shikamaru, silently challenging the man to say another word against him.

“Banana? Or is it too big for you?” Sai said, breaking the tension and holding up the large fruit in question.

Sasuke walked over and took the fruit. Naruto noticed that Sasuke’s gloves were missing, though the long-sleeved shirt covered most of Sasuke’s hands. Peeling the outside skin away, Sasuke took a slow, deep bite, his eyes meeting Naruto’s and Naruto could see the hidden laughter in them. After chewing and swallowing, Sasuke turned back to Sai and said seriously, “Last night’s was much bigger.”

Sai and Naruto broke out in laughter as Sasuke walked over to the coffee pot. Naruto stood and grabbed him a mug. He enjoyed the sight of Sasuke with disheveled hair in his kitchen more than he was willing to admit.

“Sugar?” Sasuke asked and when Naruto raised an eyebrow he added, “Surprising, I know. For some reason people have me pegged as the bitter sort.”

Naruto smiled and slid a frog-lid jar over. “Good too know.”

“A frog?”

“They’re cute.” Naruto shrugged and took another cigarette drag. “I’ve a soft spot for them.”

“Good to know.”

“Are you two done flirting?” Shikamaru snapped.

“No,” Sasuke snapped back and sipped his sweetened coffee as they both moved to the table. “But back to what you guys were gossiping about, Naruto’s right, I’ve no love for Itachi.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, not believing Sasuke. Loyalty was everything to clansmen. They were all family. It was difficult to get away from the notion of blood loyalties.

“Apparently you didn’t research the Uchihas that much,” Sasuke continued. “Until a few months ago, I hadn’t have so much as a word from him since I was ten. None of us did. And I didn’t believe for a second he just suddenly changed his mind and wanted to reconnect with the family.” Sasuke took a sip of his coffee and then nonchalantly added, “I actually suspected he was looking into Orochimaru.”

Sasuke tried to play it off as nothing, but Naruto noticed his hand slip under the table. Without drawing attention from his brothers, Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s hand and pulled it away from the man’s stomach. He placed it on his thigh and pushed Sasuke’s nails into his own leg.

“Why would he look into Orochimaru in Konoha? He doesn’t have any territory here,” Shikamaru said, not adding that Orochimaru had been trying to get into Konoha for decades but the Kyūbi kept denying him.

“But the Uchihas are,” Naruto said.

Abruptly, Sai grabbed the back of Sasuke’s collar and pulled it down, revealing the mark. Naruto’s brothers stilled, all eyes on Sasuke. Naruto felt Sasuke’s nails dig into him.

“I was twelve when I was sold to Orochimaru,” Sasuke said calmly, his eyes boring into Shikamaru, daring the man to challenge him. “If you’ve any ideas on how to kill him, I’m all ears.”

Shikamaru lowered his eyes slightly, conceding to Sasuke.

“You should have the Kyūbi mark you,” Sai said, retaking his seat.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Kyūbi? Everyone says he’s a myth.”

“Maybe his sex-life was until yesterday.”

All eyes turned to Naruto who shrugged and finished his cigarette as he looked at Sasuke. Those dark eyes widened and Sasuke’s hand went lax on Naruto’s thigh. This really wasn’t how he wanted to tell Sasuke, but if things progressed as they had last night it was probably inevitable.

“Seriously?” Sasuke said.

“I have many unofficial names,” Naruto admitted calmly.

Sasuke frowned. “What’s your real name?”

“Don’t legally have one. Not anymore, at least.” At Sasuke’s confused look, Naruto continued, “Menma Namikaze was pronounced dead at the age of three.”

“I’m sure you heard of the Namikaze Massacre,” Shikamaru said.

Sasuke gave a single nod and Naruto felt Sasuke’s hand squeeze his thigh. There was no looks of pity or words of condolences, which Naruto was grateful for, just the slight pressure on his thigh.

“So my brother is actually after the Kyūbi?” Sasuke said, moving back to the main subject at hand.

“Looks like it,” Shikamaru said.

“Then instead of getting rid of me, wouldn’t it be better to use me as a resource?”

“No,” Naruto snapped. “We’re not dragging you into this.”

Sasuke turned to him. “He’s my brother and I’m sure he saw us leave together last night. I’m apart of this whether you like it or not. Might as well use this to your advantage, right _Kyūbi_?”

“He’s right,” Shikamaru intercepted Naruto’s rebuttal. “Especially if you were stupid enough to be seen together. If the agent is any good, he’ll start nosing into Sasuke’s personal life if he has any suspicions about you, which we have to assume he does.”

Naruto sighed and ran a hand over his face. This was more complicated than he liked. They were used to handling law enforcement, but he had a feeling Agent Itachi Uchiha wasn’t going to be easy to shake. And he couldn’t just give Sai The Order. Not only would it draw suspicions, but also it was Sasuke’s fucking brother. Despite the obvious rift between the two Uchihas, Naruto didn’t want to be the guy to end it. “I need a smoke.”

“You just had one,” Shikamaru said, giving him a disapproving look. “You’re going to kill yourself.”

“Not fast enough, apparently,” Naruto mumbled and took a deep breath, breathing out “Fuck.”

A pair of cool, rough hands cupped his jaw and pulled him into a heated kiss. As Sasuke’s tongue thrust into his mouth he tasted overly sugary coffee and banana and—Naruto moaned—Sasuke. The taste of the man himself went straight to Naruto’s brain and pushed away all other thoughts.

Pulling from the kiss, Sasuke went to Naruto’s ear, his breath warm and moist, and whispered, “Just bare with the stress for awhile longer. We’ll deal with it after they’ve left, all right?”

The words went straight to the tent in Naruto’s pants. He was thankful for the table.

Sitting back down, Sasuke returned his attention back to Shikamaru as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. “So, you’re obviously the strategist. What’s the plan?”

Shikamaru blinked, a faint blush on his cheeks.

“I’ve obviously been watching the wrong kind of porn,” Sai blurted.

“By the way Ino tells it—yes, yes you have,” Naruto deadpanned.

There was a moment’s pause and then Naruto and Sai started laughing. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but a small smile crossed his lips and Sasuke’s hand returned to Naruto’s thigh, this time he didn’t dig into it. The air eased between the men and an unspoken agreement settled between them. Sasuke was in, perhaps not all the way, but Naruto’s brothers had accepted him to some degree.


	13. Empty Mug

Itachi walked into the trendy east side café. It was not the kind of place he would have expected to meet his modern, no-nonsense brother. The café had somehow managed to be both well lit but not overly bright and mellow, new aged music hummed through the hidden speakers. Walking up to the counter, Itachi glanced at the abundance of vegan and vegetarian friendly pastries and snacks, but merely ordered a cup of black coffee.

After getting his coffee he walked through the maze of miss-matched chairs and over to Sasuke, who sat looking out one of the large windows on the second floor. There was something different about his brother, a calmness that had replaced the blank tenseness he had witness just days ago at Temari’s gallery.

Since walking out of the gallery last Friday, Sasuke had been missing for two whole days, only to appear at work Monday morning as if nothing had happened. And, according to Itachi’s sources, Sasuke had been even more of a force to be reckoned with than before. In the past three days Sasuke had closed more deals and earned more money that he, or anyone else for that matter, had all year.

Then, stranger still, Sasuke had texted him this morning inviting him for coffee. In the nine months since moving to Konoha City, his little brother had done nothing but coldly block him out, as if there was an impenetrable wall between them. Itachi had even begun to think that their father was more friendly and forgiving toward him.

“Good morning, little brother,” Itachi said as he sat across from Sasuke. “I was delighted by your text this morning.”

He watched as those cold, dark eyes leave the window and steadily settled on him. Inwardly, Itachi was amazed by the elegance and refinement that was infused in all of Sasuke’s movements. Sasuke didn’t even have to say a word and you knew just how far beneath his shoe you really were. It was so drastically different from the jubilant little brother he had once known. And different still from the indifferent and broken man he had seen last Friday.

“What you say here is off the record, Agent Itachi,” Sasuke smoothly said and then took a sip of his lidded coffee.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and his eyes did a quick take of the nearly empty second floor. His body subtly tightening. He had not expected the conversation to have such a cold, clean cut to this topic.

“I thought we were meeting as brothers?” Itachi said neutrally.

“Don’t worry, we’re not being watched.” Sasuke took another sip and smirked. “Yet.”

A shiver went down Itachi’s spine and his instincts kicked in. He had sat across from a lot of evil men, but he had never expected to get that feeling from his own flesh and blood, especially his dear little brother.

Clasping his gloved fingers in his lap, Sasuke leaned back in his chair. “You’re much easier to read these days, Agent. Have you lost your edge since leaving the family?”

Itachi opened his mouth to answer, but then Sasuke continued.

“No matter. Tell me, Agent, why did you really come to Konoha? And don’t bother lying about family bonds—you have none.”

Sasuke’s words stung, but Itachi tucked that pain away. He wouldn’t let his brother know how much he regretted what he did, especially now that he knew the true consequences—what had become of Sasuke. He sighed. “You’ve changed.”

“Agent, I’m a busy man, don’t make me repeat myself.”

Itachi stood. “I came here as your brother-”

“Leaving now would be a very unwise decision,” Sasuke said, seemingly unfazed as to whether Itachi left or not. The sight saddened Itachi. He had met a handful of men like this before, all were very high up in gang ranks. These were the ones you had to be the most careful with—the cold, level headed men who knew they had the upper hand. The kings of darkness.

Itachi sat back down, but said nothing. He regretted to realize that this meeting had blind sighted him. After Gaara’s warning he had become afraid to look too closely into his own family. He knew the Uchihas. _He was an Uchiha_. Certainly they weren’t the nicest bunch, but they had a strict code of honor. His father would never let the family or the corporate empire work with dirty money. It was beneath the man. Now, looking at this stranger in his brother’s skin, he wasn’t so certain. Were the Uchiha’s linked to the Kyūbi mafia? Is that why they had suddenly moved their headquarters to Konoha?

“Tick tock, Agent Itachi. You don’t have all day,” Sasuke said.

“Agent Uchiha, actually,” Itachi corrected. If he was dealing with mafia right now then he’d have to be firm. He’d do what he could to get his brother out of this mess, but he also couldn’t show his hand too soon.

Sasuke merely stared at him and waited. Those cold, black pools gave away nothing. After a few minutes passed, Itachi realized that he would have to give a little to get a little. With a sigh he admitted, “Fine, you’re right, my job moved me here. However, just because I’m here on FBI business doesn’t mean I had to come say hello. I could have ignored the lot of you.”

“No,” Sasuke said flatly and leaned forward, picking up his drink. “You couldn’t have.”

Itachi raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Oh indeed.” Sasuke took a long sip of his drink and then firmly set it down. The cup sounded hollow. Standing, Sasuke buttoned his suit jacket. “I’ve a plane to catch. See you at mother’s birthday party. I hear anyone who’s anyone in this town will be there.”

“Of course. Will you be bringing Temari?”

“She’ll be there regardless of if I bring her or not,” Sasuke said as he left.

Itachi watched his brother go and then picked up Sasuke’s cup. It was one of the café’s to-go mugs, but there was no order written on the side. In fact, beside a couple of chew marks on the rim, the cup seemed completely unused. As he went to remove the lid his phone rang. Setting the cup down Itachi looked at his mobile, the caller was unknown.

“Agent Uchiha speaking, who is this?” he answered.

“The enemy of your enemy,” a deep baritone voice said. “We’ve left you with a little gift—call it a peace offering if you will. We will help you get the _right_ person and you leave mine alone.”

Itachi’s hand tightened around the cup. “And just who is the right person?”

“Aren’t you the detective?”

Standing, Itachi moved to the window and looked down at the street. He watched Sasuke get into a black SUV with a wolf insignia on the back. It was not an Uchiha Industries vehicle. Quickly memorizing the license plate, Itachi said, “And what of my brother?”

“Finally acting the big brother, are we?” the voice teased and then said more sternly, “Sasuke Uchiha is willingly under our protection. If you truly want to help him, then I suggest you do your job, detective. By the way, that’s a double poly cup, hardly recyclable.”

The line went dead. Itachi texted the license plate number off to his team and sighed once more. What the hell was going on here?


	14. Still Here?

Naruto wiped the burner phone down and then snapped it in half before tossing it into the street as he weaved through the cars stopped at the traffic light. Once the light turned green the phone would be thoroughly destroyed, leaving no evidence behind even if the FBI did manage to trace the call. He slipped into a black SUV just as the light turned and traffic began to move.

“Miss me?” he said as he pulled off his leather gloves.

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes. “Do you really think this will distract him?”

Naruto thought of the symbol of Orochimaru’s children that had been placed between the two cup layers. Shikamaru’s strategy was to bate Agent Uchiha into going after Orochimaru whilst the mythical Kyūbi slipped through the cracks. Even though the Kyūbi’s territory was seemingly impenetrable, it was also relatively small since it only consisted of Konoha City. Orochimaru, on the other hand, had slithered into much more of the country. To the naïve, it would seem like Orochimaru was therefore the bigger catch. However, those in their world knew differently. Orochimaru was often challenged in various cities and though he typically won domain he was still seen as challengeable. No one but Orochimaru dared to fuck with the Kyūbi.

“Naruto?” Sasuke whispered into his ear, pulling him from his thoughts. A pleasant shiver went down Naruto’s spine.

“It’ll work. Like your brother said, he didn’t have to make contact with you immediately upon moving to Konoha. He could have stayed in the shadows until he became suspicious. Shikamaru realized that and is playing off whatever Itachi feels for you.”

Sasuke frowned, his hand immediately going to his stomach, but Naruto knew what to watch for now. He took that long, thin hand and removed the glove before kissing Sasuke’s chapped, scarred palm.

“You don’t have to forgive him for leaving,” Naruto whispered. “You don’t even have to hear him out on why he did.”

Sasuke gave a curt nod, his hand relaxing at Naruto’s touch. It was so strange—how alive he felt in Naruto’s presence, how much he craved those eyes on him even though before he hated being looked at. So much had changed in his world since Friday. He had been fully exposed before Naruto and yet he had felt so at peace with himself throughout that whole weekend.

After Shikamaru and Sai had left, he and Naruto had returned to bed and never really left for two days. It wasn’t all carnal, though Sasuke wouldn’t deny that he had continuously craved the dark hunger that was buried deep within Naruto. They had spent a good deal of it talking about everything and nothing. They didn’t get into anything too deep, they had both had enough of that for awhile, but little things like how Naruto was actually a sap for romance novels and how Sasuke had never played a video game—which Naruto rectified immediately.

It was Sasuke’s first taste of normalcy in a very long time. The coil buried in his gut hadn’t even stirred. There was no desire to wash until his skin bled, no need to hide his imperfect body. His stomach growled for food and drink, and for the first time in months he actually tasted something. The world was full and bright and wonderful. It was like he was experiencing it for the first time.

Then Sunday night had come and the coil had struck like lightening as he bolted his apartment door. The panic sunk in and his skin crawled so painfully that he wanted to tear his flesh off. He was too out of his mind when his home line began to ring that it ended up going to voicemail. Naruto’s voice cut through his consciousness like a bullet.

_Breathe. I’m still here._

A nip to his jaw brought Sasuke out of his memory and he glared playfully at those clear blue eyes. This was the first time seeing them since Sunday and it had been too long. Unfortunately what he told Itachi hadn’t been a lie, he was indeed on his way to the airport. He was to be away for the next two weeks and for the first time in his career he absolutely hated the thought.

“Still here?” Naruto asked.

“Still here,” Sasuke murmured and tried not to smile.

“Good.” Naruto kissed him. “I’ll call you when you land.”

“Okay.”

Naruto kissed him once again, harder this time, and murmured “Still here” against Sasuke’s lips as the SUV pulled to a stop at another traffic light. With a wink Naruto exited the vehicle and merged into the group of people walking the crosswalk, disappearing into the crowd. Sasuke would not smile, despite how light he felt, at least not on the outside.

* * *

Ten hours later Naruto was still jubilated from feeling Sasuke’s lips against his own, and to show just how good a mood he was in, he used a dull dagger to stab the man in the gut. He even left the dagger there as the man cried out and pulled against his chains. Neither of the onlookers batted an eye. They were currently deep underground in a secluded cellar that only a handful of the Kyūbi’s men knew of.

“So,” the Kyūbi started as he circled the man, “why don’t you tell me exactly what you told Agent Uchiha.”

“I-I don’t know-” The man screamed when Kyūbi flicked the knife. “I swear! I didn’t-”

Kyūbi pulled out another dagger and stabbed the man in the back, purposefully missing any vital organs. “Come now, friend, I know you talked to those nice FBI agents. You told them where to find Zabuza, didn’t you?”

“N-no! I’d never! I’m loyal to the Kyūbi!”

Leaning close, Kyūbi whispered, “You lovely wife has a fine ass. Shall I bring her in to show it to you? I’d love to play with it while you contemplate telling me the truth.”

The man began to plea and babble. It fell on deaf ears as Kyūbi signaled for the blindfolded woman to be brought in. Horny as he found himself, he had no desire for the woman who screamed despite the gag. He wanted a different ass. He had never been a man tied to his libido, but since last weekend he had found himself craving Sasuke like he had never craved for someone before. Two nights had not been enough and the bit of kissing in the car earlier had only enflamed his need even more. Still, he found himself happy to have just been in the other man’s presents for a little while.

Bending the woman over a chair, Kyūbi ripped her pants and underwear off before smacking her pasty, white ass. Sasuke’s ass was white too, but it had been such a nice white—round, with tight muscle that fit so perfectly into his hand. The woman cried like a whaling child. Pulling out another dagger, the Kyūbi looked at the man with a large, feral smile.

“Think this’ll fit?” he asked, holding up the blade.

“N-no! Please! She doesn’t know anything,” the man cried.

“But you do,” Kyūbi said as he ran the side of the blade across her skin and she went perfectly still. He watched the man shiver and crack as he slowly dragged the blade between the woman’s cheeks.

“Yes! I do! I’ll tell you everything! Just please don’t-”

“Start talking,” Kyūbi ordered.

“A-a man approached me-”

“Why?”

“My son! H-he got in trouble with someone in New York-”

“Who?” Kyūbi snapped, walking closer to the man, dagger still in hand.

“I-I don’t know. My son said h-he had a tat-to-o. Two dots on his neck.”

Orochimaru.

Kyūbi cursed and through the dagger at the wall. It stuck to the concrete with a loud thud and the man before him pissed himself. The stench was horrid. Turning it went to retrieve the dagger.

“Continue,” he ordered.

The man yelped and stumbled on. “Th-the man said he’d get my son back if I tipped the FBI off on where the next fight was.”

Returning with the dagger, Kyūbi asked, “Is your son back?”

“No! We haven’t heard from him in months.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kyūbi said sincerely as he sliced the man’s jugular. And he was. He had no idea what he’d do if someone got their hands on Boruto. The man gurgled into silence as the floor turned red.

Walking over to the sink in the corner, Kyūbi tossed the dagger in it and grabbed one of the clean towels before returning to the woman. He gently draped the towel over her exposed backside and then kneeled beside her, removing the gag.

“Jay?” the woman whimpered. “Where’s Jay?”

“What’s your son’s name?” Kyūbi asked softly.

“Seto. Did you kill Jay?” Despite the hoarseness of the woman’s throat her voice was remarkably steady. “I told him not to do it. I told him to go to the Kyūbi.”

Kyūbi patted the woman’s shoulder comfortingly. “He should have listened to you. Instead he chose to defy me and has paid for that.”

“Are you going to kill me too?”

“No,” Kyūbi said softly and the woman visibly relaxed. Whilst she was not directly tied to the clan, she came from an old Konoha family. She had been right to tell her husband to come to him for aid. Unfortunately the stupid bastard had ignored the Kyūbi’s law. “Not unless you betray me too.”

“I’d never!” the woman quickly pledged.

“Good. Your parents are still alive, correct? Jin and Momoko?”

“Yes!” The woman seemed shocked that Kyūbi knew her parents, but he always did thorough research on his people and those he had to deal with. It kept up with the belief that the Kyūbi was eternal, but also weaved in the very fabric of Konoha. The Kyūbi was a friend, a neighbour, a guardian, but he was also a cold, blooded killer, a ruthless king.

“My men will take you to them. Stay with them for a time and heal.”

“And my son?”

“Give my men what information you can. I won’t promise you hope, but I will promise you answers. Dead or alive, we will find your son.”

“Thank you,” the woman said gratefully as fresh tears soaked into her blindfold.

Kyūbi signaled for the woman to be taken away and then he returned to the corpse, removing his two daggers before plunging them back into the body. To say he was pissed was an understatement. Orochimaru had found a crack in his territory and exploited it, slithering in like the disgusting snake he was. After the massacre Namikaze and the Kyūbi fell more and more into the shadows. They were no longer a whisper in the back of Konoha’s mind.

He again pulled the daggers out before plunging them back in, again and again. Blood splurted, painting his skin with crimson freckles as it cooled. Damn it! It was his fault that Zabuza and Haku were dead! It was his failure as Kyūbi that had killed them! The body before him could hardly be called human anymore as he tore into it again and again with the blades. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tear into Orochimaru and let his blood rain down the streets of Konoha.

When the corpse had broken in half, splattering blood all over Naruto’s pants, he finally stopped. He stood there, breathing heavily. He was furious. And he was afraid. If Orochimaru was behind Agent Uchiha being here and looking into him, then Orochimaru was certainly behind Uchiha Industries moving here. It had been a sliver in his mind since he saw the mark on Sasuke’s neck.

Despite Sasuke’s avid hatred of the man, Naruto was no fool, he knew Orochimaru wouldn’t willingly let one of his Children go where he couldn’t reach. This couldn’t be happening. He had finally found someone that could meet him halfway, someone he could maybe one day love, someone who had glimpsed the monster inside and didn’t run away-

“Hello?”

Naruto’s eyes widened and he looked to the side. Sai was holding a phone up to his ear, allowing Sasuke’s smooth voice to wash over him. Dropping the daggers, Naruto grabbed the phone with his bloody hand and pressed it to his ear.

“Hello?” Sasuke repeated.

“I’m still here,” Naruto whispered.

“Me too.”


	15. Adulterant Friend

The sky crept lazily into morning as Sasuke stood in front of his hotel window. The bed behind him was untouched and the TV droned quietly in French or Italian or something. He wasn’t really paying attention. His nerves felt raw, the coil squeezing his insides so tightly he couldn’t think straight.

He couldn’t see the historic city before him. Apparently it was beautiful. All he could hear was that man’s voice, echoing in his skull. It was so loud. Sasuke looked down at the burner phone in his gloved hands, his fingers bloody from digging into his own skin. Why had he thought things would be different? Why did he even bother hoping? There was no way out.

He had come back to his hotel room, exhausted as all hell. He hadn’t slept much since leaving Konoha City, hadn’t eaten much either. He just wanted to shower and collapse into bed and maybe, just maybe, Naruto would call. It had been days since he last heard the man. Why did the man affect him so? He was like a strong sedative to Sasuke’s nervous system. It was addictive, but it wasn’t the only quality that pulled Sasuke to him.

But none of that happened.

Orochimaru’s man had been waiting in his room, sitting at the desk, watching the TV in the corner. Kabuto had been his handler in the beginning. When Sasuke’s career at Uchiha Industries had begun skyrocketing after graduation, Kabuto stopped showing up. Sasuke had thought that Orochimaru was finally giving up, that maybe the bastard had finally realized that Sasuke Uchiha couldn’t be broken.

“Long time no see,” Kabuto had said as Sasuke closed his hotel door. Tossing his paperwork on the desk, Sasuke ignored the man sat at it and went over to the window. He pulled open the curtains to expose the setting sun as Kabuto added, “What, no hello for an old friend?”

“We’re not friends,” Sasuke said without a drip of emotion. He would not allow the man to see how his skin crawled, how much he struggled to keep his lungs steady as he breathed. He forced his hands in his pockets so that he would not tear into himself. “What do you want?”

“It’s always strictly business with you, little Sasuke. I’ve no idea why the boss thinks you’re fun.”

Sasuke waited. His mind whirling with the desire to run, to get as far away from here as possible. He knew exactly where he wanted to go. But he couldn’t. Sasuke Uchiha was not dependent. He could handle this; it wasn’t like it was anything new. It had just been awhile.

Kabuto sighed. “Fine, have it your way—even though we could’ve had fun first, we are in the City of Love after all. A few months ago you were given a list of Konoha building permits to acquire. Why haven’t you gotten them?”

Sasuke thought back to the permits that had been intercepted by NamiCorp. “I run the international department,” he said. “If Orochimaru wants a footing in Konoha, he’ll have to talk to my father.”

“He did.” Kabuto sounded closer now. “And your father gave the job to you.”

“And I gave it back. I don’t work locally.”

Kabuto’s arms wrapped around Sasuke’s stomach and he willed himself not to react. He didn’t want this filthy maggot touching him, but he knew what could happen if he moved wrong. Kabuto always had some kind of needle or syringe on him. Sasuke didn’t need to go to his meeting in the morning high as a fucking kite. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it—he had proven that enough times without anyone ever noticing—it was just that he hated the after affects. The coil had always been worse after one of Kabuto’s ‘gifts.’

“Orochimaru is giving you a direct order,” Kabuto said. “See that it’s done, little Sasuke.”

“Fine,” Sasuke said, his eyes still on the window. “That it?”

“I suppose.” Kabuto’s arms slithered away and he heard the man walk to the door. “You should stop by the next time you’re in town. I’ll let the boss know how well you’ve filled out. I’m sure he’ll be so pleased to know how big and manly his little boy is now that he’s all grown up.”

Sasuke heard Kabuto chuckle as the door opened and then closed. Still he didn’t move. He kept his eyes on the window. At some point the sun must have fully set and then risen again. He didn’t know when he dug into his stomach or for how long he had dug for. All he knew was that it was morning now and the front of his white linen shirt was soaked in blood.

When the sun fully broke over the horizon, he dialed the one number on the phone. It only rang twice.

“Hello?”

Sasuke found himself unable to speak. The coil sprung forward, bringing everything with it. He felt too much and nothing at all. He didn’t know what to do, what to say. What was the point? Could he even be saved?

“Still here?” Naruto’s voice said through the speaker and Sasuke’s eyes filled with tears.

He willed his voice to remain steady as he said, “He’s back.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment and then Naruto repeated his question, “Still here?”

“I’m here,” Sasuke said firmly, but quietly. He wasn’t sure of the truth of that statement, but the sound of the other man’s voice had warmed him a little. His lungs moved a bit more easily.

“Where did you meet?” Naruto asked, his voice steady, in complete control of the situation and Sasuke immediately understood that he was talking to the Kyūbi now, not Naruto, but the comfort that came from that voice didn’t change.

“My hotel room. He…” Sasuke looked at the sun, trying to burn away the image of Kabuto waiting for him.

Luckily, Naruto seemed to understand as he asked, “Were any of your belongings in the room?”

“Yes.” Despite his last flight landing late, he had managed to at least drop off his luggage and shower quickly before his meetings began.

“Did he touch you?”

Sasuke didn’t want to answer, the memory of Kabuto’s arms around him made the coil rear vengefully. He coughed, eyes squeezing shut, choking. Air. He needed air.

“Sasuke, listen to me.” He heard Naruto’s voice as if he was calling from the other side of a tunnel. He was so far. Too far. “Focus on my voice. Think only of me. Can you do that?”

“Y-yes,” Sasuke struggled to say. His heart was beating so rapidly that it was hard to hear anything and his vision didn’t make any sense. He knew his eyes were open, but he couldn’t see anything. It was a blur of jumbled up light.

“Sasuke, undress,” Naruto ordered. “Expose yourself to me. Start with your gloves. I hate that black leather that hides your beautiful skin.”

Sasuke focused on the firm, steady voice as he removed his bloody gloves. They fell to the floor as Naruto gave his next order.

“Now your shoes and socks. What’s hidden on your socks this time? I must admit I was shocked to find out that you don’t wear plain black socks.”

“R-rubber ducks,” Sasuke answered, as he removed his black Italian loafers and navy socks that had a rubber ducky design stitched into them. His hands shook, but he was finding it a little easier to breath as he focused on the sound of that dark, soothing voice.

“Cute.” Naruto chuckled, and then his voice turned darker, more lustful, “I’d love nothing more than to see you in a tub with a couple of rubber duckies. Then I’d fuck your brains out while they road the waves of my cock thrusting into you. Take your jacket off, Sasuke.”

He felt a soothing heat grow in the pit of his stomach, calming the coil, making it easier to breath as he did as he was told.

“Now your shirt, unbutton it slowly. I love a tease. That first night we fucked your eyes had been so cocky and arrogant, made me want to rip into you, but on that second night I had taken you more slowly at first. Did you realize you blushed when I undressed you?”

Sasuke remembered. Naruto had undressed him so slowly it was nearly torture. It had taken Naruto nearly an hour to undress him, continuously bringing Sasuke closer and closer to orgasm but never letting him until Naruto commanded it.

“Sasuke, remove your pants and underwear.”

He heard his belt buckle thump against the floor before he even realized what he had done. It was like he was hypnotized by Naruto’s voice as he stood, naked and hard in front of the window. He was fully exposed and he didn’t care. He just wanted more of that voice. More of Naruto.

“Is your door chained?”

Sasuke finally looked away from the window and turned toward the door. “No.”

“Are you hard for me?”

He gave himself a firm tug and a shiver of pleasure shot through him. “Yes,” he hissed.

“Did I say you could touch yourself?” Naruto snapped. “Go to the bathroom and close the door.”

A whisper in the back of Sasuke’s mind wanted him to rebel, to fight back, but he found himself doing as he was told. The hard authority in Naruto’s voice setting his body aflame.

“Get in the shower Sasuke and turn the water on. Make it warm, not hot. Don’t burn yourself. I’m the only one who’s allowed to burn you, understand? Only I can hurt you, no one else. Only me.”

Sasuke groaned when the warm water hit his stomach, washing the dried blood away to reveal the torn skin and old scars.

“Did you hurt yourself, Sasuke?”

He squeezed his eyes shut, he didn’t like that tone. It made him want to curl into himself and disappear.

“Breathe, babe,” Naruto said, his voice softening. “I’m still here.”

Something inside of Sasuke shattered and he gasped, a great sob echoing through his chest. He couldn’t help it. He had thought he was done with all this bullshit, that he was too old, that Orochimaru had forgotten about him. Why wouldn’t he just go away!? Hadn’t he done enough!? He didn’t want to go back to that life. He didn’t want to feel that man’s touch.

“Sasuke! Sasuke, come back to me, babe. I’m here. I won’t let him get to you. I’m still here.”

He could hear the voice in his ear, but it was drowned out by the sound of someone screaming. His throat burned and his skin crawled painfully. He was everywhere. There wasn’t a single inch on Sasuke’s body that was clean, that hadn’t been touched. So dirty. Filthy. Disgusting. Tainted.

There was a loud crash, but Sasuke couldn’t see, couldn’t focus. He could only feel the crawling, the pain, the dirt. It consumed him. He had to get it off, get clean. Pain shot through the back of his head, stars exploded in his eyes, and then Sasuke collapsed into a pair of warm arms.

Tsunade picked up the dropped phone. She could hear her grandson shouting on the other side. Putting it to her ear, she said, “You’ve some explaining to do.”

“Granny, how is he?” Naruto asked, the worry and dread evident in his voice. The significance of that tone didn’t go unnoticed on the old woman, she had only ever heard Naruto use it when something was wrong with her great grandson, Boruto.

“Unconscious,” she said. “Once we get to a secure location I’ll call you back. Also, you owe me a new vocation.” She hung up and turned the shower off before grabbing a towel to wrap around the poor man. He was covered in scratches, as if he had tried to tear his own skin off. Tsunade didn’t need her medical degree to tell her that this man was a mess. She sighed. Why couldn’t her grandson find someone sane?

Two hours later Tsunade sat on the veranda of her hotel room, drink in one hand, phone in the other. She had tended to the young man, a Mr. Sasuke Uchiha, apparently, whilst her husband had conversed briefly with the man’s secretary before donning a suit. Jiraiya was now filling in for Mr. Uchiha during a series of meetings—Kyūbi’s orders. Some vacation this was turning out to be. Dialing the one number in the phone, Tsunade called her grandson.

“How is he?” Naruto said as greeting.

“Sleeping,” Tsunade replied. There was a pause, apparently that answer wasn’t good enough. Tsunade sighed. “Beside the old wounds and the obvious skin damage that I’m sure you already knew about, he tore himself up pretty good. He’ll heal though. Physically, at least.”

“Good. Let me know when he wakes.”

“You’re not getting out of this that easily, Naruto,” Tsunade warned. “This guy isn’t just a business partner. You ruined my vacation, you owe your grandmother more than that.”

“He’s…” Naruto hesitated. “He’s important.”

Tsunade bit her bottom lip, understanding the depth this conversation just shot too. She wasn’t a fool. Even though her grandson had never said it out loud, she was fairly confident in her mother’s intuition. She had never fully agreed with Naruto’s marriage to Hinata, it had all been her husband’s idea, but she also understood the protection it would bring Naruto. The Kyūbi could not be gay, but her grandson was human. Naruto was human.

“How important?” she asked softly. When Naruto didn’t answer, she said, “He’s not well, hun. He’s very sick, you know that, don’t you? People this sick may never fully recover.”

“He’s strong,” Naruto said. “Stronger than he probably realizes.”

“And when his strength fails him?”

“I’ll be there.”

There was a certainty in Naruto’s voice that warmed Tsunade’s heart, but it also worried her. She had to ask, “And the Kyūbi?”

A long pause stretched between them and Tsunade knew that he was wondering the same thing she was. If it came down to it, could Naruto leave the Kyūbi behind? Could he ever escape the shackles he was born too? Could he take Boruto and Sasuke away, disappear into the shadows, eradicate his entire existence up to this point, and start from scratch, never to see the family and friends he had left behind again?

“I don’t know.”


	16. Cage

Sasuke awoke on a soft bed near a window that overlooked the River Seine. This was not his hotel room. Too close to the river. Too low to the ground. His body tensed. How did he get here? He couldn’t remember much—the coil, Naruto’s voice, the shower-

“Don’t freak out, I don’t have any sedatives and I don’t want to knock you out again.”

Sasuke spun around at the sound of the voice, the sheet falling to his hips and he realized how exposed he was. Too exposed. The woman by the door could see him. See all of him. She could see the filth, the damage. Before his mind could spiral out of control, she tossed some clothes and a phone on the end of the bed.

“Call him,” she said as she left. “Then come out for lunch.”

He scrambled over to the clothes, ignoring the pull of bandages on his stomach, and quickly put them on. They were his. His pants. His shirt. His gloves. He felt better once dressed, the coil had calmed slightly, but it was still there, ready to burst through his chest at any moment.

Once dressed, he grabbed the mobile phone off of the bed. It didn’t look like the cheep burner phone he had been given before leaving Konoha. This phone looked expensive and when the screen lit up, what Sasuke saw—he didn’t know how to interpret it, what he felt, but he found himself smiling.

It was an old image. Naruto looked so young, his hair long and shaggy around his face. His eyes were clear, less tired, more hopeful, happy. There were no exhausted lines or shadows, like the Naruto he knew. This Naruto was cocky and arrogant, sure, but his big, fox-like grin was innocent, unhampered by whatever plagued him now. In the image, Naruto was shirtless, his body still made up of tight muscle, but he was leaner, less broad, and in his strong arms he held a tiny bundle with gigantic blue eyes and a tuff of blonde hair.

Sasuke found the coil disappearing as he looked down at the picture of a young Naruto and his newborn son. They were such a little family. Just by looking at the image, Sasuke could see how much Naruto loved his son and the sight warmed him in a way he didn’t fully understand, but it also gave him a deep sense of longing. Could he ever have that again? A family? Or was he too damaged, too tainted to ever be loved?

“The brat was right, you are strong.”

Sasuke jumped at the sound of the voice, never having heard the door open. The woman was back and this time Sasuke wasn’t too startled to get a good look at her. She was older, at least as old as his parents, and was physically a straight man’s wet dream. Regardless of his sexuality, Sasuke wasn’t an idiot. He understood female beauty even if he didn’t want to shag it, and this woman was definitely beautiful by any standards.

“Who are you?” Sasuke asked. “Where am I?”

“Your boyfriend’s grandmother. You can call me Tsunade.”

Sasuke will himself not to blush at the word ‘boyfriend’—he highly doubted one weekend of fucking really made them a couple—but he found himself secretly giddy at the term. He had never been someone’s boyfriend, not in the normal, everyday-average-person sense. It was… nice.

“Where am I?” Sasuke asked again, trying to ignore what he was feeling. He needed to know what was going on before he could let himself relax.

“Don’t worry, you’re not kidnapped. You can leave whenever you’d like,” Tsunade reassured. “Though, I think you should call your lover boy first. I came back to tell you that he’s listed as ‘the Brat.’”

Sasuke looked back down to the phone in his hand, the image reappearing as he touched the screen, then he looked back at Naruto’s grandmother. “Something happened, didn’t it? To Naruto and Boruto?” he asked. “They don’t look this way anymore.”

Tsunade’s eyes saddened and she nodded. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Call him.”

She again left the room. Sasuke listened to her fading footsteps before sitting on the corner of the bed and calling Naruto. It nearly rang through before a rushed, groggy voice spoke, “Granny? What’s wrong? Is Sasuke okay?”

The evident worry made Sasuke smile. He whispered, “Still here.”

He heard Naruto sigh in relief and a silence spread between them, but it didn’t make Sasuke feel awkward, it didn’t make the coil stir. Just knowing the other man was on the other side of the phone was comforting, even if neither of them spoke.

“I’m sorry-” Sasuke started after a time, but Naruto quickly cut him off.

“Don’t, Sasuke. Don’t apologize for being human.” Naruto’s tone was firm and so warmingly forgiving.

Sasuke closed his eyes, holding the man’s words close to his heart. Why was Naruto so accepting of Sasuke, damage and filth and everything in between? Why was this man, who had certainly done terrible things in the name of his mafia—Sasuke wasn’t fool enough to not realize that the Kyūbi would certainly have blood on his hands—so much more accepting than anyone else in his life?

His parents had sold him off and then ignored the signs that he was breaking. As long as he looked and acted the part of an Uchiha in the eyes of society, they just let him crumble from within. His brother had left, only to come back, take one look at him, diagnose him, and tried to push him off on some doctor as if he had nothing to do with how damaged Sasuke was. As if some doctor could fix Sasuke with just the wave of his hand and probably a shit ton of medication.

And then there was Temari, his best friend. She too had watched Sasuke crumble. She at least had tried to help, in her own way, with the creation of Suke. But Sasuke knew that there was a wall between him and Temari. He didn’t know who put it up, but she was too afraid to cross it, too afraid to loose what hold she had on him as his fiancée.

Yet, despite all these apparent family and friends, it was a fucking mafia boss who had taken one look at Sasuke, accepted him for what he was, and stood by his side. Naruto was here, right now, on the other side of the phone, worried about him even though Sasuke was a dangerous connection.

Sasuke sighed, “You really shouldn’t bother with me.”

“Do I really seem like the type to listen?” Naruto retorted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that. No, not really. Since he first met Naruto, he was very much aware that Naruto was a man who ruled his own life.

“Tell me what happened,” Naruto ordered softly.

Sasuke bit his bottom lip. He didn’t really want to talk about it. He didn’t like being so weak as to fall apart like that. But Naruto had already been there, on the other side of the phone, he already knew that Sasuke Uchiha was not as strong as he appeared.

“Still here?” Naruto asked after a moment.

“Still here.” Sasuke took a deep breath and told him about his surprise visit from Kabuto. He told Naruto about Kabuto being his old handler, about how he had a habit of shooting Sasuke up with who knows what, and about how he hadn’t seen or heard from the man in years, about how he thought he was done with Orochimaru’s shit, too old to be one of his ‘children’ anymore.

As Sasuke talked, he also found himself telling Naruto that he was scared. Kabuto had scared him. It was easier to admit than he thought. Perhaps it was because he was in an empty room, that he couldn’t actually see Naruto, even though he knew the man was on the other side of the phone. But he didn’t think that was it.

Since the beginning, his mantra had always been that he was fine, that he didn’t have a problem. But he did. He had a lot of problems. He had so many problems that he didn’t even know how to handle them all, didn’t even know where to begin. But as he sat on that bed in that empty room talking to Naruto, he felt as if he was finally taking the first step to dealing with all his shit. Maybe just talking was how to begin.

“Dad?” Sasuke heard Boruto call on the other side of the phone. He looked at the clock on the side table. It had to be nearly seven in the morning in Konoha.

“Just a sec,” Naruto said and then called out. “I’m up. I’m on the phone. Will you take Kurama out? I’ll be down to make breakfast in a bit.”

“Kay!” Boruto called out.

“Sorry about that,” Naruto said, returning to the phone.

Sasuke smiled softly. “It’s alright. Kind of nice hearing you sounding like a dad.”

Naruto chuckled. “Maybe eventually you can see it in person.”

“I’d like that,” Sasuke admitted. And it was true. He wanted to see Naruto the dad, wanted to see more of that man on Tsunade’s wallpaper.

Naruto was quiet for a moment, probably also thinking about what it’d be like. Sure Sasuke had briefly, accidently, met Boruto at the gallery, but Naruto hadn’t known that he’d be there or that he was the show’s subject. Sasuke hadn’t exactly explained Temari to Naruto. But during that weekend they spent together, Boruto hadn’t come back. He’d stayed with Naruto’s secretary, Ino. Sasuke hadn’t questioned it. He understood that Naruto was probably just being cautious, and besides, Sasuke had been a mess—was still a mess.

“I’d like it too,” Naruto whispered.

Sasuke felt something inside him squeeze, but it wasn’t the coil, it wasn’t unpleasant.

Naruto cleared his throat. “Look, I gotta go. For all his smarts, Boruto burns anything he touches. But don’t worry about Kabuto. My grandparents won’t be far the rest of your trip. I’ve already talked to them and I’ll get some security set up for you back home.”

“I don’t need babysitters,” Sasuke said, his back straightening at the thought of a couple of old farts following him around.

He heard Naruto sigh in annoyance, but the other man didn’t speak for a moment. When he did speak, there was something so hauntingly breaking about Naruto’s voice. “I can’t leave Konoha.”

The words rung in Sasuke’s mind and he immediately understood their implications. Tsunade and her husband were an extension of Naruto; they would follow Sasuke because Naruto couldn’t be here. The Kyūbi could not leave Konoha, his domain, his cage.

“Okay,” Sasuke agreed. “But if that’s the case they might as well have dinner with me. Having a bunch of old people just following me around in the background is creepy.”


	17. Conference Call

Sasuke sat under a large umbrella in front of an infinity pool that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. There was a sublime endlessness to it that made him feel small and insignificant. He didn’t like it. Behind him, he could hear Naruto’s grandparents bickering from the open window. Over the past twenty-four hours, Sasuke had determined that that was their natural state.

Karin’s heels clicked across the patio and came to a stop next to him before she took the seat opposite. Sasuke turned to her and was met with an expectant look. She had been taking everything unexpectedly well, no questions asked. It was a mark in her upbringing and her loyalty to Sasuke. Whilst he wouldn’t call her friend, Karin had certainly become his comrade since they met ten years ago under Orochimaru’s rule.

“They’re not your usual crowd, boss,” Karin said, referring to the elderly couple in the hotel.

“Think of them as an insurance policy,” Sasuke said and returned his gaze to the endless water.

“An insurance policy that you let run your meetings yesterday?”

Sasuke frowned, his hand going to his stomach as the coil twitched. “I was indisposed.”

“I see.” Karin too turned to the water. “And I suppose it had nothing to do with a certain someone leaving the hotel late the other night or creepily sitting at our boarding gate this afternoon.”

The coil shot into his throat. “We’re not going back,” Sasuke said through his teeth.

Karin visibly relaxed. “Then I’m with you.”

“Who I’ve aligned with-”

“Doesn’t matter. Not if he can keep us out of reach of that bastard.”

“That’s the plan.”

They both turned around to see Tsunade holding up a tablet. Naruto waved from the screen, a cigarette hanging from between his lips. Despite his calm, carefree smile, Sasuke had already figured out that the Kyūbi was a stress smoker. He didn’t need any other signs, though they were subtly apparent.

“Mr. Uzumaki?” Karin said, raising an eyebrow at Sasuke.

Sasuke replied with a shrug and leaned back in his chair. The sound of Naruto’s voice had instantly calmed the coil. “Are you going to fill us in on any of the details?”

Naruto’s eyes flickered from Sasuke to Karin and back in silent question.

“She knows everything about me,” Sasuke said, giving the okay to speak in front of his secretary.

“That’ll make things easier,” Naruto said with a curt nod. “We’ll continue as before regarding your brother.” He took a long drag of his cigarette before continuing, “A security detail will be set up for you once you’ve returned to Konoha-”

“Just for Mr. Uchiha?” Karin interjected.

Naruto blew smoke off to the side. “The individual in question doesn’t seem to be interested in you just yet. We don’t want to arise the FBI’s suspicions, so for now yes. We will keep watch over the situation and if need be alter it.”

Karin gave a nod of approval.

Taking another long drag, Naruto continued, “After your return, it will be announced that Suke is under our protection in the form of marriage.”

That got Sasuke’s attention. “Marriage?!”

“To me,” Naruto said evenly and then took a particularly long drag, burning the cigarette down to the filter. He flicked the bud to the side. “Fake of course.”

“And the FBI won’t figure that out?” Karin asked.

Naruto lit another cigarette. “By all accounts it’ll look real, but you can’t marry a woman who doesn’t exist in the first place.”

“Do I get a say in any of this?” Sasuke snapped, his fingers digging into his stomach, his eyes locked on the endless horizon.

“Stop that,” Naruto snarled.

Sasuke’s hand immediately froze.

Naruto took another long drag, followed by a deep sigh. “Of course you get a say, Sas.”

Sasuke’s head snapped toward the tablet. The warm nickname relaxed his insides. The coil slid from his throat, returning to the pit of his stomach. “Don’t you think you should actually ask me to marry you before you go making decisions like this?”

“I’ll ask you when it’s for real.”

Sasuke didn’t need to fall from his seat. Karin did it for him.


	18. Old Wounds

Naruto didn’t bother looking up from his seemingly endless stack of paperwork as a knock sounded on his office door. He called for entry and continued to scan the pages in his hand. Despite his role as Kyūbi, NamiCorp was still a legitimate business that continued to run even when he was busy elsewhere. Thus, his backlog of paperwork. It was also a distraction from the tension building in his neck and shoulders.

“You needed me for something?” Kiba asked after a moment.

Naruto paused in his reading. Kiba’s tone was tired and tense. Hinata must have had a bad night. Leaning back in his chair he looked up at his long time friend and nodded toward an envelope on the coffee table. Kiba was a year or so younger than him, but had still seen his fair share of the uglier side of the world. Kiba was loyal to the Kyūbi, but Naruto was no fool, he knew that some times Kiba’s loyalty warred with his love and loyalty to Hinata. And Naruto couldn’t fully find fault with that; Hinata needed someone on her side.

With heavy feet, Kiba went over to the coffee table and picked up the envelope, opening it. Naruto noted the heavy bags under Kiba’s eyes and the slope of the man’s shoulders, as if he was carrying a heavy burden.

“This is the guy you had us drive to the airport a week or so ago, isn’t it? And who’s the chick?” Kiba asked as he looked at a picture of Sasuke and one of Suke.

“What’s about to be said in this room is extremely confidential, Kiba.” The heavy firmness in Naruto’s voice had Kiba’s back straightening. He had the man’s full attention. When Kiba gave a nod of understanding, Naruto continued, “They are one in the same and they are under my protection.”

Kiba nodded again. “Who is it?”

“Sasuke Uchiha. However, in female form you are to address her as Mrs. Suke Uzumaki.”

“What?” Kiba practically snarled at the marital implication. “You can’t-”

“This clan comes before Hinata,” the Kyūbi warned.

“Sasuke Uchiha is not part of our clan,” Kiba retorted back.

The Kyūbi stood. “You dare to declare who is and isn’t part of my clan? I could kill you for such insubordination.”

“You wouldn’t. You’re too-”

A dagger whizzed passed Kiba, nicking his cheek and imbedding in the wall behind him. Kiba froze, his eyes widening and then narrowing as he ground his teeth together.

The Kyūbi came around his desk and stood in front of his subordinate, lifting another dagger to the man’s undamaged tattooed cheek. Lowly, he whispered, “I killed Haku with my bare hands. What makes you so special?”

Kiba instantly paled.

“I will do what I must to protect my own and right now the key to doing that is keeping Sasuke Uchiha safe and unsuspected.”

Kiba swallowed hard. “And why does that mean him posing as your wife? You know that will devastate Hinata.”

The Kyūbi lowered the dagger and returned to his desk. He was on edge, had been since the attack on Sasuke nearly a week ago, but he had to appear unaffected. He was Kyūbi. Plopping back down in his seat, he said, “Considering I’m fucking the man, she’s going to be devastated regardless.”

Kiba dropped the pictures, unable to say anything. Since only Sai and Shikamaru knew of his actual sexuality, it wasn’t surprising that it came to a shock to Kiba—he was one of Naruto’s more oblivious friends and who would ever expect a mafia boss to be homosexual? However, since Kiba would know of Sasuke’s duel identity he would figure it out once he saw them together anyways.

“Don’t worry, Kiba, regardless of my attachments, I’m completely capable of killing Sasuke Uchiha if he becomes a danger to the clan,” the Kyūbi said in complete seriousness. “Now, back to the matter at hand-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kiba interrupted, finding his voice. “Since when?”

“Since when, what?” Naruto asked as he began restacking his paperwork.

“Have you been, you know…”

“Gay?”

Kiba blushed. “Well, yeah, I mean, you have a kid.”

Naruto sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was silent for a time. He’d be the first to admit that Hinata’s condition was his fault. That he had been a stupid fool. But he had been a teenager, practically still a child, and admittedly he was afraid of what would happen if others knew. Homosexuality and the mafia don’t really mix. The few stories he knew were tragic at best. So he had followed his guardians’ advice, married, and produced an heir before the age of twenty. He didn’t know that his inability to love Hinata like a proper husband should would utterly break her.

Kiba frowned as the unspoken truth permeated the air between them. “Does she know?” he whispered.

“I don’t know. We haven’t really spoken much since the divorce.”

“Isn’t there another way? Do you guys have to be a thing? If she see’s you two together it’ll destroy her and she’s only finally gotten better these past few years.”

Naruto frowned and a bitterness burned within him, but he tried to keep it in check as he said, “It’s been nine years, Kiba. How long must I wait? Like you said, she’s doing better. She has you, now. She loves you. Am I to spend the rest of my life alone because of this? How long must I be punished for it?”

“How long must she suffer because of it?” Kiba snapped back.

Naruto slammed his fist against the desk, sending papers flying. “I can’t heal her! That’s your job!”

“Did either of you two idiots ever think that maybe seeing Naruto move on would help Hinata move on too?” Shikamaru said as he leaned against the doorway.

Naruto glared at him. He hadn’t heard his brother come in, too caught up in the discussion with Kiba.

“That being said,” Shikamaru continued, “Kiba, the Kyūbi is giving you a direct order to provide security transport to Sasuke Uchiha, regardless of how he looks or what name he’s going by. As the Pack Handler will you see that this is done or will you pay the consequences? This is all confidential, remember, so you know what will happen to you if you decline the job.”

Shikamaru let the death threat hang in the air. They couldn’t risk anyone knowing anything unnecessary, not with Orochimaru waiting in the wings. They had to keep Sasuke’s decision to hire a private security detail, separate from whatever the Uchiha Industries provided, as low key as possible. Kiba’s family owned and operated their own security company, separate from NamiCorp—though NamiCorp had used it on several occasions. The point was that it wasn’t directly tied to the Kyūbi, but it was also separate from Uchiha Industries. They weren’t sure how deeply Orochimaru had penetrated the Uchiha family and Naruto wasn’t willing to risk Sasuke to find out. Sasuke’s father had already endangered his son enough.

Kiba clicked his teeth. “I’ll see that it’s done.”

“Good. Go meet with Sai, then. He has two of his men ready to pose as your employees and Sasuke’s bodyguards. We will, of course, reimburse you for their wages,” Shikamaru said before turning to Naruto. “And as for you, oh pissy leader, let’s not hit Hinata over the head with this. I think it’s time you went and had a proper talk with her.”

Both Naruto and Kiba tensed at the thought.

Shikamaru sighed, exasperated. “Don’t worry, your very own personal, legitimate psychologist will be there to make sure nothing troublesome happens.”

“Criminal psychologist,” the two corrected simultaneously.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “At least you two finally agree on something. C’mon, Naruto, that paperwork can wait another afternoon.”

Naruto watched Shikamaru head back down the corridor. He did not want to do this. He did not want to talk to her, did not want to watch her crumble again. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his desk drawer, Naruto signaled for Kiba to leave as he lit one and took a long drag. Fuck.

Shikamaru was waiting on the stairs outside of the dojo as Kiba stomped through the door. He looked up at the man and felt very little pity for him. Nine years was a long ass time. Hinata should have progressed more by now. Shikamaru knew she had a strong core. Kiba was just coddling her pain too much, too afraid to assert his love for her. It was hindering her more than anything. What Hinata needed was a strong partner by her side, who understood her and was there for her. She didn’t need a damn babysitter.

“She’s not the only one who broke that night,” Shikamaru said as Kiba passed him.

Kiba turned to him. “I know Boruto-”

“I wasn’t talking about him.” Shikamaru looked Kiba straight in the eyes. “He had a kid to raise, a clan to lead, and a business to run. Just because he doesn’t always show it doesn’t mean it didn’t destroy him too.”

Shikamaru had been there that night. Kiba hadn’t. He was the one who called 911 as Naruto desperately tried to perform CPR on his tiny toddler whilst his crazed wife banged on the bathroom door in an attempt to finish what she started. It had been too surreal. A true nightmare that would forever haunt them all.

“So just lay off him,” Shikamaru continued. “If not for his sake than for Boruto’s. The kid needs his father to be whole; he needs to know that a healthy relationship is possible. Sasuke can heal Naruto. I’ve seen them together. They click without even realizing it. Let Sasuke heal Naruto. Let him give Boruto an unbroken father, a family.”

“And what about Hinata? Why can’t she give that to Boruto?” Kiba snapped.

“She tried to kill him,” Shikamaru said bluntly. “Nearly succeeded, actually. And yes-” He raised his hands to halt Kiba’s rebuttal. “We all realize and understand that she was mentally unstable. But it did happen. Boruto lives with that fact every day. He won’t be able to ever consider forgiving her if he is unable to heal.”

Kiba clicked his teeth and sighed as he jammed his hands into his coat pocket, unable to say anything. He wasn’t an idiot. He just loved Hinata so damn much. He wanted her to get better so that they could move forward, together. He hated being so fucking helpless when the woman he loved was suffering. She hadn’t meant to do it, didn’t even really remember doing it. The few times she talked about it it was like she was experiencing it as an observer, like she wasn’t the one in control of her own body.

“Yeah, whatever,” Kiba said lamely and walked away. What else could he do?


	19. Monster

Naruto stood outside of Hinata’s apartment door. It had been nearly ten minutes and he hadn’t managed to knock yet. He needed a smoke, despite finishing his fifth one since leaving his office when they had arrived. Shikamaru leaned against the wall behind him, wordlessly waiting for him to grow a pair.

Part of him wished Shikamaru would just knock for him. His palms were sweaty and he had half the mind to bolt. He was faster than Shikamaru; he could easily outrun him. Looking back at his brother, Shikamaru shook his head as if reading Naruto’s mind. Damn psychologist. Taking a deep breath, Naruto knocked. The sound reverberated in his mind. It sounded so loud.

Too soon the door opened and Hinata appeared. She smiled, happy to see him—she was always so damn happy to see him. Her hair was pulled back in a messy braid and she was wearing a sweater two sizes too big for her and a pair of leggings. If Naruto remembered correctly, he had bought that sweater for her nineteenth birthday. Idiot that he was, he had bought the wrong size. It swallowed her just as much then as it did now.

“Naruto!” she greeted warmly, “what a lovely surprise. And Shikamaru too! Come in, come in.”

Naruto smiled back and stepped passed her as she opened the door more for them to enter. As he passed he was struck by how much he still dwarfed her. She still seemed like such a tiny, fragile thing, more so now that he had broadened and filled out with age.

He looked about the apartment as he came to the living room. It was so Hinata—floral and pastel and so very homey. With the exception of the basket of dog toys, one would never realize that Kiba even lived here. All the pictures on the walls were of Hinata’s family or of Boruto. Naruto frowned when he saw their wedding picture hanging on the wall.

Hinata came to stand next to him. “I need to get a new one of Boruto. Our boy is getting so big. He’s a teenager now!”

She lightly placed her hand on his arm and Naruto wanted to recoil, he wanted to bat her away. Instead he stood there and nodded. “He’s hoping to get his high school diploma next spring. I’m trying to convince him to keep with it for a while longer. Thirteen is too young for university.”

She gave his arm a squeeze. “My little genius!”

Shikamaru cleared his throat.

“Oh, Shika, did you want something to drink?” Hinata asked, turning to face Shikamaru.

“No, I’m good thanks,” Shikamaru said as he gave Naruto a pointed look.

“We won’t actually be staying long, Hinata,” Naruto said. “We need to talk. You should sit down.”

Hinata’s eyes widened in worry. “Boruto-”

“He’s fine,” Naruto said. “Please, sit down.”

Worrying her bottom lip, Hinata nodded and gestured toward the couch before going to sit there herself. Naruto didn’t join her. Instead he sat on the wooden coffee table in front of her. Why did he have to do this? She sat there, so small and tiny and breakable. Naruto didn’t want to hurt her again. Hadn’t he done enough damage all ready? Why did he have to be such a monster and keep hurting her over and over and over again?

He looked back at Shikamaru who gave him a supportive nod and then to Hinata who watched him with her big, doe-like eyes, completely oblivious to what was going on inside his head. She had never been able to read him. His eyes then fell on the wall of pictures behind her head.

“Hinata, why do you still have our wedding picture?” he asked quietly. It hadn’t been what he meant to say, but he felt like it was somehow connected to the root of their problem.

“Because it’s our wedding picture. Why wouldn’t I display it?” Hinata said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

His eyes lowered to her and he realized that she hadn’t gotten better at all, not really. She was just faking it. She hadn’t given up on them getting back together, on being a family again. “But you’re with Kiba now. Don’t you think it upsets him to see it every day?”

Hinata smiled and brushed the thought away. “Don’t be silly. He doesn’t mind.”

“Hinata,” Naruto said gently but firmly, “we’re divorced.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she looked down submissively. “For now.” Her voice was so small.

“It’s been nine years, nearly a decade. Don’t you think it’s time to move on with your life? Kiba loves you. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to call you his wi-”

“Never!” Hinata screamed, her tiny hands fisting into her lap.

Naruto swallowed his guilt, it dragged down his throat like a ball of nails. Fuck! This was his fault. He had ruined her with his stupidity and his selfishness. If only he could love her. If only he wasn’t so fucked up. If only he had been born normal. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t destroy her any more.

“Tell her, Naruto,” Shikamaru said sternly, sensing him wavering from the course.

Hinata sniffled. “Tell me what?”

Naruto sat straighter, pushing his thoughts, his feelings, down. He had to do this. It was what must be done, if for the safety of the clan if nothing else. Sasuke Uchiha was likely the key to getting to Orochimaru. Oh god, Sasuke—what if he ended up just like Hinata? What if Naruto was just too much of a monster? What if he broke too? No! No, he couldn’t think like that right now. He had a job to do.

“We’re never getting remarried, Hinata,” Naruto said, looking her straight in the eyes. “I’ve met someone else.”

Hinata’s eyes widened, more tears pouring forth. “What? Who?”

“Suke Uzumaki.”

“Uzumaki?” she croaked.

Naruto nodded. “My wife.”

There was a moment in which no one breathed, no one moved. Naruto felt the crushing weight of time as it slowly crept by and then it jilted forward at high speed as Hinata’s shrill shriek slammed into him. Her tiny fists pelted him with her denial as her poor brain tried to take it in. Naruto didn’t have the heart to stop her. He deserved every punch. They didn’t physically hurt, she wasn’t that strong, but he let the implication sink in. Let her pain imbed itself into his body, his soul—if he even had one. Did monsters have souls?

Too soon they were being pulled apart. She should have been allowed to hit him longer, maybe there would’ve eventually been some kind of bruising, some kind of evidence of the monster he was.

Others were shouting, not just Hinata—poor, broken, innocent Hinata—but Naruto didn’t comprehend anything said. He just walked out of the apartment. His feet moving on their own. He needed a smoke. Ignoring the elevator, Naruto made it down the six flights of stairs and out the back door of the apartment complex.

Fresh, city air filled his lungs with the scent of car exhaust and the nearby dumpster. His mind kicked into overdrive and he pulled out his pack of cigarettes. His hands shook. Quickly, he lit one and took a long drag. He loved the feeling of the nicotine burning his insides. If only it could burn harder, faster. What he wouldn’t give to be burned alive right now.

“I’m sorry,” Shikamaru said as he stumbled out the back door. “I didn’t realize how bad off she was. I thought the Hyūgas were properly taking care of her.”

Naruto shook his head and took another drag. He didn’t look at Shikamaru. He couldn’t look at him, couldn’t let his brother look at a despicable monster. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s go. I’ve a mountain of paperwork still to do tonight.”

“Naruto!” Shikamaru called after him, but Naruto just headed out of the alleyway, back toward Shikamaru’s car. He didn’t take in any of the details of the alley. He couldn’t. His brain didn’t compute. His feet just kept moving. Everything in his body wanted to run as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. His brother didn’t catch up to him until they reached the mouth of the alleyway. Grabbing Naruto’s arm, Shikamaru pulled him to a stop. “Call Sasuke.”

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto finished his cigarette. He immediately went to light another one. “Why?”

“Just do it,” Shikamaru said as he slapped a burner phone against Naruto’s chest and then walked away.

Sighing, Naruto looked down at the phone. It had been a week since he had heard Sasuke’s voice. Since the other man kept hopping through time zones with each new business meeting it had been easier to just text sporadically. He had no idea what Shikamaru was up to, but he knew he wasn’t getting back to his paperwork until he made the call. Sasuke probably wouldn’t answer. Lighting another cigarette, Naruto dialed Sasuke’s number and waited.

It rang six times before a groggy reply came, “What the fuck do you want?”

Naruto chuckled into the phone. A small, pathetic smile on his lips and his eyes began to water. Fuck! “Did I wake you?”

There was a brief pause, and then Sasuke asked, “Still here?”

Naruto could hear the worry in the other’s voice. Shit. He took a long drag before replying, “Yeah, still here.”

“Okay,” Sasuke softly said.

Something twisted inside Naruto. He suddenly felt raw and all too visible. Wiping the non-tears from his eyes, he said, “Look, I gotta go. Sorry for waking you.”

“It’s okay. I, um…” Sasuke didn’t finish and silence fell between them. Neither one had the courage to admit that they missed each other, that they didn’t want to end the call. Naruto leaned against the apartment complex wall and smoked his cigarette as he listened to Sasuke breathing on the other side of the phone. The simple connection eased him more than he wanted to admit, more than he deserved.

When his cigarette had burned down to the filter and Sasuke’s breathing had slowed into a soft snore, Naruto smiled and hung up.


	20. Placebo

“You can’t go in there!”

“Move!”

“No! Go the fuck home. You can’t see him.”

“The fuck I can’t!”

“I said no!”

Naruto lifted himself halfway up from the concrete floor and swiveled his head toward the door where the yelling was coming from. Fuck it. He jammed his hand in his pocket and it went straight through. He wiggled his fingers in the gapping hole. Well shit. A click came from his left and he looked over to see Sai, covered in blood and bruises, lighting a cigarette. He supposed he didn’t look much better.

“Violent mother fucker,” Sai murmured around the cigarette and then handed it to Naruto with a smirk.

“This a normal one?” Naruto asked as he took it and took a long drag, allowing his body to re-collapse back onto the concrete.

Sai puffed out a laugh. “Yeah. I don’t think I’d survive another round with you high as a fucking kite.”

Naruto smiled at that. Shikamaru may be the psychologist, but Sai was the one who knew how to wind him down the best. After the call with Sasuke he had been ok, perhaps a little numb, but everything had been manageable. He had returned to headquarters and buried himself in paperwork. Ino had understood. She said she’d watch Boruto for the night. But as the clock ticked on the whole shit storm had twirled in his head, over and over and over again.

Finally, around midnight, Sai had come into the office. Naruto didn’t know what the hell they smoked, but that along with the fight with Sai had been freeing. His head might hurt and his mouth might taste like shit, but his body felt relaxed, exhausted, and wonderfully sore. Naruto wasn’t an idiot, he knew drugs and fighting wouldn’t solve the issue, but it helped him get to a spot where he could face the voices on the other side of the door with a clearer head than he had had last night.

Ino was tough, that’s why she was the Kyūbi’s secretary/bodyguard, but she was better against an enemy than the Kyūbi’s own men. Despite her steel tone, it didn’t take long for Kiba and Neji to barge in—the latter more calmly than the former.

“You owe me a new door,” Naruto said as he took a long drag.

“I don’t owe you shit,” Kiba spat.

Naruto looked over at his brother, who laughed and shook his head.

“You’re an idiot, Kiba,” Sai said.

“What was that?” Kiba said, stepping forward.

“You realise,” Sai said, sitting up, his body stiff. “That even high off our asses we can still kill you, right?”

“Hinata’s under sedation and you’re in the dojo basement getting high?” Kiba snapped. Neji stepped forward and grabbed him before he could lunge at either man.

“Shit. There went my mood.” Naruto pushed himself up; his joints creaked as he stood. Fuck, Sai really did a number on him. He rounded on his lawyer. “Neji, why did the Hyūga’s say that Hinata was perfectly healthy?”

Neji frowned. “She was-”

“DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME!” the Kyūbi roared. “She still has our fucking wedding picture up!”

“Don’t fucking blame them! It’s all your fucking faggot fault!” Kiba snarled.

Sai was up and slamming Kiba to the ground in an instant. “I’d watch my mouth, if I were you. I could rip your vocal cords out for less.”

Kiba spluttered, his nose poured out blood, and he clawed at Sai’s hand, desperate for air.

“Don’t kill him, yet,” Naruto ordered.

Kiba gasped as Sai loosened his grip but didn’t let the other man up.

Rounding on Neji, Naruto said, “What you’ve heard is confidential. Swear to that confidentiality or never leave this room alive.”

Neji’s eyes widened and Naruto could practically see the lawyer putting all of the pieces together as he looked between Kiba and Naruto. “I see,” Neji said eventually. “I figured as much. Very well. You have my silence.”

Naruto relaxed at that. After yesterday he wasn’t sure if he’d still have Neji’s loyalty. “Sai, tie the loudmouth up.”

Ino came in at that, with the needed supplies, and the two made short work of Kiba, tying him tightly to a chair and gagging him. Neji merely stepped out long enough to get himself a chair—Naruto and Sai had pretty much destroyed everything in the room during their stress relief session—and Naruto began to pace.

When they were done, Ino turned to Naruto, “Perhaps some herbal tea will help?”

“Later,” Naruto said, finishing one cigarette and immediately starting another. “You may go.”

Ino gave a curt nod and left the room, replacing the broken down door as much as she could.

“Tell me about Hinata,” Naruto ordered when the four men were alone. “I thought she was seeing someone?”

“She is—the Hyūga Family’s general practitioner,” Neji admitted.

Naruto stopped. “Not a psychologist?”

Neji shook his head. “Uncle refuses to admit that a Hyūga requires anything more than a regular family doctor.”

“SHE TRIED TO KILL MY SON!” Naruto seethed. When they divorced, Naruto did so knowing that he couldn’t help her. He had released her into the custody of her family, the Hyūgas, who promised to get her the best treatment possible. He had been assured that she was getting better. He would have never allowed her within his presence, let alone anywhere near his son, for the past five years if he had thought any differently.

Neji flinched. “I know.”

“Why didn’t either one of you tell me the truth!? Do you care nothing for Boruto!?”

“We didn’t know!” Neji shouted back. “Hinata’s appointments are confidential. Either Kiba or I take her to see her father, the doors close, and we’re called back an hour later. When I confronted uncle he admitted nothing. I had Tenten ‘speak’ with Hinata’s supposed doctor. He told us everything, even that the medications she’s been taking are all placebos.”

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it, and returned to his pacing. “Where is she now?”

“My condo. Shizune and Tenten are with her.” Shizune was the Kyūbi mafia’s official doctor now that Granny Tsunade was retired.

Naruto nodded and finished another cigarette. Shit. This was a mess and it was all because he couldn’t properly fake being straight. What could he do to fix this? Was there anything he could do or would he just make it worse like yesterday? He had broken her. _Again_. Fuck. He couldn’t keep doing that to her. He didn’t want to think about what would happen when she broke for the final time.

“I’ve come to ask for the Kyūbi’s protection against the Hyūga family,” Neji said.

Naruto stopped in his tracks.

“You don’t have to see her,” Neji added quickly. “In fact it’s probably better if you didn’t, but if we have your protection as Kyūbi while I get her into a proper psychiatric facility than it may be enough to keep Uncle from doing anything.”

It could work, but not if everyone wasn’t on board. They couldn’t succeed if Kiba blindly sabotage them. Naruto turned and walked over to the seething dog. Kneeling down, he tore the gag from Kiba’s mouth.

“Faggot bas-”

Naruto jammed the gag back in and let Kiba splitter around it for a moment. The bastard seemed to think he was the enemy, but Naruto didn’t disagree with him—he was to blame, it was his fault, but he was not the enemy here. Carefully, Naruto removed the gag.

“I believe you have something to ask me,” Naruto said.

Kiba grounded his teeth together and said nothing.

Naruto stood and turned to Neji. “You want my help, then he has to ask. You know where to find me.”

“Naru-”

The Kyūbi held up his hand, silencing Neji. “I’ve made my decision. Sai, my head fucking hurts. Let’s get some food.” Without waiting for a reply, he walked out the door.

“For fuck sakes, Kiba! Hinata needs you to man the hell up,” Neji yelled. “He doesn’t have to see her ever again, but we need his help.”

Kiba spat the gag out. “It’s his fucking fault-”

“No it’s not!”

Naruto paused. Ino stood in the doorway behind him, her hands fisted at her sides.

“Hinata is _mentally ill_ , those are often genetic,” she said. “Sure, maybe Naruto’s sexuality didn’t help things, but at least he realized that he wasn’t helping maters and gave her to someone that was supposed to get her the help she needed— _her family_. But you know what else didn’t help?” Ino turned to Neji. “Your family constantly pressuring her to be fucking perfect.” She turned to Kiba. “Or you just standing idly on the sidelines for _nine fucking years_. You’re her boyfriend, how could you not notice anything? Where the hell are your goddamn balls?”

Ino marched over to Kiba and ripped the gag out. “You’ve a chance to get her the help she needs. Fucking man up and take it!”

Naruto stepped back into the room and looked over at Kiba, who glared back.

Ino backhanded Kiba, the blood from his already broken nose splattered across the floor. “Don’t you fucking love her!?”

Kiba spit out a tooth and shot a glare at her. “’Course.” He returned his glare to Naruto. “’elp us.”

The Kyūbi raised an eyebrow.

“Please.”

“Ino, have it arranged,” the Kyūbi said. “Sai, food.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Sai said, following him out.


	21. People Watching

Itachi watched as people began to come through the arrival’s gate. He watched as their obvious travel exhaustion melted away at the sight of their loved ones. There was a small tug at his heart. Sasuke would never greet him as warmly as these people. In the passed sixteen years there wasn’t a single day that went by that he didn’t miss his little brother, that he didn’t regret not bringing him with, but he couldn’t. Itachi had only been eighteen years old, legally an adult and able to leave, but Sasuke had been ten. If he had taken his brother with him it would have been considered kidnapping.

He watched as a thin woman with messy, long black hair came through the gate. She was by far the most exhausted person yet. There were small bags under her half lidded, dark eyes, and her body looked fragile and riddled with tension. She paused by the gate and looked at the awaiting crowd. She seemed to curl into herself as she worried her bottom lip.

As her eyes passed Itachi’s his breath stilled. There was something familiar about her. Something about the set of her eyes and the way she held herself, but she passed over him without any hint of recognition.

A small, gentle smile spread across her lips as she saw a man not far from where Itachi stood and quickly went to him. It was a tall man with dark hair and pale skin. As she went to him, he greeted her with a large, cheeky grin and hugged her fiercely.

“Still here?” the man asked.

“Still here,” she whispered back.

Itachi watched them go, hand in hand, mildly perplexed by the strange greeting. Shrugging his shoulders he returned his gaze to the gate, still waiting for Sasuke. It had been two weeks since their café meeting and what he had found out since then worried him. He wanted to have a proper talk with his brother before their mother’s birthday dinner tomorrow.

The cup had gone to the labs. They had found no finger prints besides Itachi’s, not even the barista’s or even Sasuke’s. The only DNA evidence had been Sasuke’s on the lid from where he bit it. They had tracked the cup back to the machine manufacturer but that plant was the top paper cup machine factory in the world, it would be impossible to figure out where it was actually made.

The only other bit of evidence they could find was a symbol drawn between the two cup layers. It was a triad of black droplets surrounded by ancient script. The symbol had appeared on over a dozen old case files so far, dating back fifty years. What made Itachi nervous was that the symbol was always found tattooed on a dead body. None of the victims were older than thirty and they were all people who had gone missing as children.

What did his brother know about this? What had he gotten himself mixed up in?

Sighing, Itachi continued to wait for his brother to appear. Minutes passed and the arrivals slowed to a trickle. This wasn’t right. Sasuke would’ve flown first class, he should have been one of the first to pass through the gate. Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed his brother.

“You waited longer than I thought you would have,” Sasuke answered on the third ring. “I don’t remember asking you to pick me up.”

“Can’t a big brother surprise his little brother?” Itachi replied, turning from the arrival’s gate.

Sasuke’s voice turned cold, “That requires one to have a big brother. What do you want Agent Itachi?”

“We need to talk, in person.”

“We’ll see each other at mother’s birthday dinner,” Sasuke coolly reminded him.

“Tonight.”

“I’m busy.”

Itachi clenched his teeth. He hated hearing how detached his brother sounded. Where had that little brother gone that wanted to be with him always? Sighing, Itachi asked, “Are you with him?”

“With who?” Sasuke snapped.

“That man from the gallery.”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about, Agent,” Sasuke said. “I just got off a twelve hour flight after three weeks of travel. I’m going home to shower and then get some damn sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

His brother hung up before he could reply. It was a legitimate reason to not meet today, but Itachi didn’t believe it for a second. Their father had never relaxed after travelling; he always went straight into work. It was likely that Sasuke was the same. Uchiha’s were nothing if not workaholics. Itachi dialed a new number.

“Hoshigaki,” his partner replied.

“Kisame, it’s me.”

“Obviously.”

Itachi rolled his eyes. “Do you have surveillance on that apartment yet?”

“Yep, set it up yesterday.”

“Let me know as soon as the target shows up.”

“Gotcha.”

Itachi hung up and made his way over to the airport’s central security room, flashing his badge when necessary. There was no way for passengers to leave the terminal without going through the arrival’s gate. That was why Itachi had chosen that location, so Sasuke wouldn’t be able to slip passed him. Entering the security room, Itachi lifted his badge before the security guard even managed to open his mouth.

“Special Agent Itachi Uchiha, FBI. I need to see all of the footage from Terminal E, starting at Flight 297’s arrival.”

“Why?” the guard asked.

“Because I asked,” Itachi said, towering over the man. Sasuke wasn’t the only Uchiha who could be cold and intimidating.

“Don’t you need a warrant for that or something?”

“Let him have it.”

Itachi turned with the newcomer’s voice, his eyebrow rising at the sight of the man leaning against the wall, a book tucked under his arm.

“Police Chief Hakate,” Itachi said, “I’m surprised to see you so far from the station.”

Katashi Hakate merely shrugged. “Well, you see-”

“Right,” Itachi cut the man off before he started what was likely to be a long and exceedingly obvious lie. He didn’t have time for the police chief. If his suspicions were correct, Hakate was a dirty cop anyways. Turning back to the guard, he said, “The footage?”

The guard nodded and pulled it up. Taking a seat next to the guard, Itachi watched the cameras. He was right. Sasuke had been one of the first to leave the plane. The video wasn’t particularly good, but there was no mistaking Sasuke’s hair. Itachi watched as his brother breezed through security, immigration, and baggage claim. Sasuke then entered the VIP longue and never came back out.

“Huh, Mr. Uchiha was right,” the police chief said from behind him.

Itachi looked over his shoulder. “Right about what?”

“Benny, rewind camera 16 to 14:36.” The guard did and then Kakashi pointed to a man a few feet behind Sasuke. “Your brother’s being followed.”

“It’s just another passenger,” Itachi informed him.

Kakashi pulled several photos out of his book and tossed them on the desk. They were all grainy images of the same man, mid-twenties probably, gray hair, glasses. “He’s been on the same passed three airplanes as your brother. My sources tell me his name is Kabuto Yakushi, though our tiny police database has yet to find him.”

Itachi looked down at the pictures. Why hadn’t Sasuke said anything to him? Did his brother really… The realization hurt more than Itachi wanted to admit. He had thought that if Sasuke was ever really in trouble that he would still come to his big brother. But more and more Itachi was realizing how irreplaceably damaged their relationship might actually be.

He hated it. He hated how changed Sasuke had become and he was terrified to find out how involved his brother might actually be with the Kyūbi mafia. He didn’t want his baby brother to have anything to do with that monster! The Kyūbi was tied to hundreds of unsolved murders and missing persons cases, plus there was the drug and weapons smuggling, and if the rumors were true, the man was a serial rapist and torturer. Sasuke shouldn’t be anywhere near that.

Itachi took a deep breath. Damnit. He looked up at the police chief. “And who might your sources be?”

“Ah, you know I can’t reveal that,” Kakashi said with a smile as he turned to leave. “You can keep the pictures though.”

He watched the man go and then turned back to the video feed. Despite his fears of what or who his brother was involved with, it also didn’t make sense. He knew Hakate was dirty, most of the Konoha police were, but then why would Hakate inform him of someone following Sasuke if it was one of the Kyūbi’s men?

He thought back to the gallery. Sasuke had left with Naruto Uzumaki, who Itachi believed to be tied to the Kyūbi. Then his brother gives him the cup with the strange symbol in it and the phone call from the ‘enemy of his enemy.’ While Sasuke was away he apparently hired Inuzuka Securities, a private security company, despite Uchiha Industries having their own security. Now a dirty cop tells him Sasuke is being followed by someone who’s not in their database. What the hell is going on?


	22. Beneath the Sea of Your Eyes

Suke entered the VIP area at Club Suna. His charcoal-lined eyes immediately found his Naruto sat on a long couch near the back, drink in hand. The man was like a dark god amongst peons. He reverberated feral power and iron-clad authority, completely at home in this mafia-owned night club. He chatted and smiled freely amongst those privileged with his company, yet Sasuke had sensed something was off since being picked up at the airport.

In fact, there had been a distance in Naruto’s various brief texts since his call last week. Sasuke didn’t want to read too much into it since perhaps Naruto just wasn’t good at texting—not that he could fault the man for that, he was hardly better. But now that he could see Naruto in person he was sure that something was off. It was like there was a barrier hidden behind Naruto’s well-crafted façade.

The distance put Sasuke on edge. He could feel the coil inside, just waiting to spring into action. He thought things would be better once he got home and returned to Naruto. The multi-continental business trip had been exhausting, especially with Kabuto continuously popping up in the distance. The coil hadn’t given him a moment’s peace and his hands had bled so much from washing that he had to replace his gloves. He had hardly slept, hardly ate.

When he had first spotted Naruto-in-disguise at the arrival’s gate he had felt such relief that he nearly passed out right there. For the first time in weeks the coil left him alone, allowing him to fall asleep against Naruto in the car—yes, Sasuke Uchiha had fallen asleep in the car. Yet, upon waking the coil had started creeping back into his consciousness. This was not the Naruto who had kissed him on the way to the airport weeks ago.

Sasuke’s eyes drifted over to Shikamaru. He wasn’t particularly on friendly terms with the guy and he well knew that Shikamaru didn’t fully trust him either, but he knew Naruto’s clan-brother was the perceptive sort. Shikamaru was subtly watching Naruto, as if he too wasn’t fooled by the façade and found it worrisome.

Well, that pretty much settled it. Sasuke was not about to fail in holding up his end of the relationship—faux marriage or not. He was an Uchiha, after all, and Uchiha’s were not dependent. Straightening his shoulders, Suke walked over to Naruto, putting just enough sway in his hips to be enticing—as both a faux woman and a bedmate, Naruto had been weak to the flexibility in Sasuke’s hips in bed.

As Suke approached Naruto’s eyes flickered over to him and immediately dilated in lust. He completely ignored the woman who was beside him, laughing and touching his arm. Suke ignored her too as he sat on Naruto’s lap and pulled the blonde into a hard kiss, staking his claim on the Kyūbi. Naruto could not ignore the challenge as Sasuke slipped his tongue pass Naruto’s soft lips, dominating the kiss. As Naruto’s tongue met his and Naruto’s arms wrapped around his waist, Sasuke felt the coil recede back into nothingness.

Pulling from the kiss, Sasuke let his forehead rest against Naruto’s. Their breaths intertwined and all he could see were those deep, blue eyes. Those eyes that at first looked so innocent and pure, but beneath the surface there was an abyss of predatorial lust and a darkness that only he could truly understand.

“Still here?” Sasuke whispered.

Naruto’s hands tightened on Sasuke’s hips and, it was subtle, but he felt those large hand tremble. “Still here.”

Sasuke frowned. “Not quite.”

“Hey, who the fuck are you!?” the woman next to Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke’s arm and yanking him back as she pulled out a knife.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the woman and looked at her with distain. She was a tall, thin thing with her hair split into two buns on top of her head. She was pretty, he’d give her that, but she had nothing on Suke.

“I’m his,” Sasuke declared, daring her to challenge him.

A smile spread across Naruto’s lips, not that cheeky, fake grin, but a real smile, hungry and fox-like. “It’s fine, Tenten,” Naruto said, his eyes never leaving Sasuke as he possessively pulled the man against his chest. “This Egyptian Queen is mine.”

Leaning down, Sasuke whispered into his ear, “Take me to bed.”

The effect of his words was immediate. He felt Naruto harden and pulse against his hip. Standing, Sasuke pulled Naruto to stand.

“I thought you’d still be tired?” Naruto said and Sasuke could see the concern in those blue eyes.

“No, I’m awake for the first time in weeks.”

Naruto’s smile softened and he took Sasuke’s hand, leading him through a hidden doorway at the back of the VIP area and away from everyone else.

Tenten watched the couple go, completely stunned, and then rounded on Shikamaru who stood near the entrance to the VIP area. “Who the fuck was that?”

She had known Naruto since they were kids and he had never acted like that with a woman, not even with gentle Hinata. And given Naruto’s total disinterest in women since the divorce, Tenten had started to wonder if maybe her friend and Kyūbi just wasn’t interested in relationships.

Shikamaru chuckled softly and shook his head. Damn, this was going to be troublesome. “She sure knows how to make an entrance,” he said. “That was Suke Uzumaki and I suggest you don’t fuck with her.”

The VIP area came to a full stop, all eyes turning to Shikamaru for answers. Then everyone shouted out at once. Naruto Uzumaki was married!?

Naruto locked the door behind them as they entered a convenient bedroom located behind the Kyūbi’s VIP area. In truth he had only used this room for quick naps, but as he watched Sasuke’s hips sway over to the expansive bed he had no intensions of sleeping right now. He was hungry for that pale flesh, for the feel of those chapped hands, rough against his back as Sasuke clung to him.

He knew he shouldn’t feel this way, shouldn’t want Sasuke as badly as he did. Naruto was a monster. Sasuke deserved better, but he was weak to those dark, endless eyes. He watched as Sasuke sat on the bed and then those eyes were on him again. Lined with thick, black charcoal they stood out more than before. It didn’t matter if Sasuke was dressed as a man or a woman. Those eyes still saw him, saw through him. They saw the monster beneath and they were unafraid. In fact, they dared the monster to surface.

Stepping forward, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the roots and yanked his head back. Sasuke moaned, his eyes never leaving Naruto. It unhinged him and his lips crashed against Sasuke’s thin, pale mouth. As they kissed Sasuke’s red lipstick smeared like blood across their faces.

The sight twisted something inside Naruto, but those eyes were still watching him. It stilled him. Those eyes. It was like they knew, they knew how black and twisted he was, how covered in blood and regret he was. They knew that the broken state of his family was all his fault. That he wasn’t good enough, would never be good enough. He was a monster.

“Are you afraid?” Sasuke whispered, arching a thin brow as he looked up at Naruto.

Naruto could not back down. “No.”

“Then quit being so damn gentle,” Sasuke sneered as he grabbed Naruto’s shirt and ripped it open.

Naruto roared and grabbed Sasuke’s wrists, slamming them against the bed as he pushed the man down, their lips crashing viciously against each other. Sasuke struggled, but it was in challenge not fear. Naruto wouldn’t give him an inch as he ground their pelvises together. Sasuke moaned, arching into the kiss. They continued moving against each other as layers slowly disappeared until it was scared skin against chapped—except for the pantyhose, Naruto decided that he quite liked how those framed Sasuke’s lean thighs and aching cock.

Sitting back, Naruto looked down at the body beneath him. Sasuke was breathing heavily, his pale skin flushed with pink. And those eyes, smudged with makeup, those eyes were always on him, always seeing. They saw too much, too deeply.

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, he watched as emotions flickered just beneath the surface. He could tell Naruto was warring with himself, as if there was something eating away at him, but Sasuke didn’t know how to ask, didn’t know what words to say to bring Naruto back to him. Reaching up, Sasuke framed Naruto’s face with his thin, chapped fingers. How could he tell Naruto that he was here for him too? How could he convey these feelings that rose up inside of him but he didn’t fully understand?

Pulling himself to sit up, Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto’s waist and kissed him. Naruto’s hands slid across his skin, so gentle it was as if Sasuke was made of paper ashes that would blow away in the wind. Sasuke’s hands slid down to Naruto’s strong, broad shoulders and then shoved them so that Naruto lay on the bed, Sasuke straddling his hips. He could feel the wet heat of Naruto’s length pulsing against him, desperate for more, but for some reason Naruto was holding back, keeping up that barrier. It infuriated Sasuke.

“I won’t break!” Sasuke snarled.

Naruto’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. His hands gave Sasuke’s thighs a squeeze as he looked away, too gentle.

“I won’t break,” Sasuke repeated as he reached behind himself and grabbed Naruto’s cock. Naruto groaned as he gave it a few strokes, spreading the pre-cum over the head. Then he lifted his hips and gave his nylons a yank, ripping the material. He then lined Naruto up.

Panic washed over Naruto as he realised what was happening. He tried to firmly hold onto Sasuke’s hips but it was too late. “Sasuke, no!”

Sasuke slammed his hips down. Pain shot through his back and hips, but it also felt good. Oh so good. Naruto was inside of him, filling him. This was where Naruto belonged, with him. Naruto was his, damn it, and he wasn’t going to let some wall keep them apart.

“I won’t break,” Sasuke declared, his voice shook with the pleasure radiating through his body.

Naruto’s large hands began rubbing his sides and hips, trying to sooth away the pain. “I know you won’t.”

Sasuke began to slowly move up and down. They moaned together, their eyes locked.

“Then why aren’t you here?” Sasuke asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto looked up at those eyes, those all-seeing-eyes, and realised they were glossy with fear. It made his heart contract. Sasuke needed him and he had gotten so caught up in his own misery that he pulled away. What a fool he was.

“I’m here, babe,” he said as he thrust sharply upwards. Finally, Sasuke’s eyes closed as he let out a raspy moan and Naruto pulled him closer. “I’m still here.”

“Stay with me,” Sasuke whispered in Naruto’s ear as he rolled his hips and then snapped their hips together.

They moaned together. Their bodies moving demandingly against each other. Sasuke was quickly drunk on the feel of it, the feel of such a powerful, dangerous man withering beneath him, inside of him. Yet at the same time Naruto made him feel worshiped and whole. He wasn’t delicate, broken Sasuke Uchiha. In Naruto’s arms there was nothing wrong with him.

Sitting up, Sasuke road Naruto slowly, occasionally giving his hips a sharp snap, just the way Naruto liked. He looked down at those blue eyes, near black with lust. Naruto’s eyes were glued to his stomach. Sasuke didn’t need to look to know that he was covered in blood and his own pre-cum. Since the meeting with Kabuto his stomach had been a mess and these past few weeks hadn’t given it much time to heal.

Yet, Sasuke didn’t see worry or anger in Naruto’s eyes, if anything the beast beneath him was turned on even more. Grabbing Naruto’s hands from his hips, Sasuke moved those long, powerful hands to his bloody, torn-up abdomen. Sasuke hissed. The touch stung, but it also felt so damn good. He felt so alive.

“Do as you’d like,” Sasuke ordered, slamming his hips down more forcefully. “Defile me! Mess me up.”

 _Make me feel, without thought, without judgment, without fear_. He couldn’t say it, he couldn’t make that plea, but as Naruto practically roared and flipped them over, Sasuke knew the message had been understood. Sasuke tilted his hips up, wrapping his nylon legs around those muscular hips as Naruto began to pound animalisticly into him. Wrapping his hand around his blood-covered erecting, Sasuke tried to keep pace with the beautiful, glorious beast above him, and all too soon they made a mess of each other, their bodies jerking wildly as they found solace in each other.

Naruto looked down at that pale face, flush with exhaustion, as they both tried to catch their breaths. He didn’t know what came over him. Seeing that nearly bone-thin torso covered in blood and pre-cum had clicked something horrible inside of him. Yet, Sasuke had not judged him, instead those challenging dark eyes had encouraged the monster that he had so desperately been trying to keep in check.

Lethargically, those dark eyes fluttered open and a small, rare smile played across those thin, kiss-bruised lips. Sasuke cupped Naruto’s cheek, and Naruto could feel the warm stickiness of blood and cum between their skin.

“No more running, okay?” Sasuke whispered tiredly. “I’m not afraid of this side of you.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He was still having a hard time believing that anyone could so easily accept the evil, twisted monster that he was. Turning his head, Naruto took one of Sasuke’s fingers in his mouth and sucked hard. He could taste the sourness of Sasuke’s essence mixed with a harsh copperiness.

But Sasuke did not back down. Hooking his finger inside Naruto’s mouth, he yanked the other man closer and then kissed Naruto, his tongue thrusting inside, replacing his finger. Though the kiss started harsh, it gradually turned gentle as the two men came to understand each other.

“Alright,” Naruto whispered against Sasuke’s lips. “No more running.”

Sasuke ended the kiss, but their lips stayed a hair’s width apart. He looked into those blue eyes, now lighter with sedation. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Naruto’s eyes flickered off to the side and then he buried his face in the crook of Sasuke’s neck. He said nothing.

“Okay,” Sasuke whispered, running his fingers comfortingly up and down Naruto’s back. He could feel the dampness of tears soak into his shoulder, but he said nothing. What was there to say? Neither of them were men of words. So they just stayed like that, absorbing the feel of each other, their bodies connected and entwined. Time passed, but neither gave it any mind.

When they had finally cooled and a chilled shuttered gooseflesh over Sasuke’s thin frame, Naruto pulled away, mumbling, “We should shower.”

Sasuke groaned as he felt Naruto’s softened member leave him with a soft ‘pop.’ He looked up at that mess of blonde hair in need of a cut and tear-swollen eyes. Even with blood and semen dried across his cheek, Naruto was still breathtakingly beautiful in Sasuke’s eyes.

“Okay,” Sasuke said quietly. There was no need to speak loudly, to break the intimacy between them.

Naruto ripped the ruined pantyhose from Sasuke’s body and tossed them aside before helping the man up. Pain immediately shot through Sasuke’s body and his knees gave out. Catching him, Naruto held Sasuke in his arms. Perhaps they had-

“I’m not broken,” Sasuke said sternly. “I’m still here.”

He looked down at those fierce, dark eyes, just daring him to say otherwise. No, Sasuke was not broken at all. Holding Sasuke close, Naruto smiled softly and said, “Me too. I’m here too.”

Sasuke huffed in approval and rested his head against Naruto’s shoulder, causing the blonde to chuckle. What did a monster like him do to deserve such a man? Naruto’s heart swelled with warm feeling for the man in his arms as he carried Sasuke to the en suit bathroom.

The bathroom was decorated much too extravagantly for Naruto’s typically simple needs, but the tub was large enough for them both. Setting Sasuke down on the closed toilet, he turned the water on and adjusted the temperature.

“I don’t have anything to fix my makeup,” Sasuke said suddenly.

Naruto looked over at him and grinned in amusement. There was no fixing that. Sasuke looked like a smudgy raccoon with a bad hairdo. It actually made Naruto ready for another round, but he wasn’t willing to risk Sasuke’s backside. Instead, he said, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll go out the back so no one will see us.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “Is it that bad?”

“See for yourself.”

With Naruto’s help, Sasuke looked in the mirror, what he saw had unfiltered laughter bubbling up. He couldn’t help it. _The Sasuke Uchiha_ looked like a well-fucked whore. The laughter sprung from his mouth, light and airy. It felt so good to laugh, to feel safe enough to truly let himself go. He felt Naruto’s warm, supportive arms wrap easily around him, and he took comfort in that sturdy warmth as he laughed and laughed and laughed. He laughed until his sides and cheeks were sore from it.

When the laughter had finally subsided, leaving his skin and brain buzzing with sensation, Sasuke allowed Naruto to assist him into the tub. The hot water soothed his sore back and muscles and stung his raw skin. Closing his eyes, Sasuke relaxed and allowed the water to do its work.

Crawling in in front of Sasuke, Naruto ignored the pink tinge of the water as the blood was washed from both of their bodies and took a moment to take stock of Sasuke’s condition whilst the other man’s eyes were closed. He had expected it to be bad, Granny had warned him of as much, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad with Tsunade around. No, Sasuke wasn’t broken, but he certainly was withered. Before Sasuke had been skinny, but there had still been some muscle. That was no longer the case. The raw, chapped skin had consumed most of Sasuke’s upper body and now Naruto saw signs of it on his thighs and caves. As for the self-inflicted claw marks on Sasuke’s stomach-

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Sasuke said with a sigh, opening his eyes. But he didn’t look at Naruto. Instead he focused on the fancy filigree around the mirror over the sink.

“You can’t ask me to be here if you can’t do the same,” Naruto said, more angrily than he meant too. He knew this wasn’t something Sasuke could completely control, if it was it wouldn’t be this bad, but now that he wasn’t blinded by lust, it hurt to see Sasuke like this.

“I’m trying,” Sasuke said as his fists clenched in the water.

Naruto sat forward and took those long, bone-thin hands in his own. “I know.”

“It’s just…” Sasuke sighed and forced his hands to relax. “He was always there. Every time I turned around, I saw him, and when he wasn’t there my mind would play tricks on me so I’d think he was.”

“Must have been stressful,” Naruto said neutrally as he began to gently massage the tension from Sasuke’s hands.

“I… I guess,” Sasuke admitted quietly.

“Well, your home now. Neither one of them can get to you here. And in the meantime, we’ll find a better way to manage your stress.”

Sasuke’s eyes finally flickered to Naruto. “You think that’s all this is? Stress management?”

Naruto shook his head. “I doubt it, but it’s a start, right?”

Sasuke nodded, his eyes falling to their hands. Could he really get better? Could he be healthy again? Could all this mess with Orochimaru and Kabuto really just end?

“And you need to start eating properly,” Naruto added.

Sasuke frowned at that.

“Loose anymore weight and you’ll likely loose your libido.”

Grimacing, Sasuke nodded. Naruto was the first person he actually liked having sex with. He didn’t want to loose that. He needed Naruto to help him feel and to find release when feeling too much. He didn’t really know what kind of relationship he had with Naruto, but he was afraid to discover how little there may be if sex was removed. Outside of right now, and the phone call in France, it’s not like they ever _really_ talked.

“And what about you?” Sasuke asked.

“What about me?”

“Something’s been bugging you for awhile,” Sasuke said carefully. He wasn’t sure how far he could push the subject, how willing Naruto was to talk. Sasuke couldn’t hide his problems, they were physically apparent, but Naruto could always play oblivious.

“Hmm,” was all Naruto said, giving Sasuke’s hand a squeeze.

“And I don’t think it has to do with me,” he added.

Naruto nodded and was silent for a time before quietly asking, “Can you give me a bit more time?”

Sasuke looked at Naruto, he saw the raw vulnerability in the man’s expression. It pulled at him like no one had before. “Sure,” Sasuke said, “As long as you don’t run away from me again.”

“I won’t,” Naruto promised.


	23. Tungsten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I'M AN IDIOT & MISSED POSTING THIS CHAPTER! ^^; For some reason I thought that this scene had been absorbed into the previous chapter, but apparently not, so in case you all were wondering about the band referred to in later chapters... Sorry? >_<

The bells of the nearby church rang eleven times as Naruto and Sasuke sat in a curved corner booth of _A-Styles Waffle House_. Naruto had insisted on getting some food in Sasuke before taking him home and, despite being exhausted, Sasuke had easily agreed. He didn’t really feel like going home just yet, which was a strange realization to have. Before Naruto, home was Sasuke’s sanctuary, untainted by the outside world, clean, immaculate, sterile. It was the one place that he had any chance of relaxing.

Now he sat in a restaurant, eating food someone else cooked with hands with an unknown sanitary level. Hell, he wasn’t even wearing his own clothes. After bandaging Sasuke’s abdomen, Naruto lent him a t-shirt and a spare pair of jeans—both of which swallowed Sasuke’s underfed frame. To better cover his arms, Naruto wordlessly handed Sasuke his leather jacket, leaving his own arms bare to the chilly autumn air.

Yet, despite all of this, the coil hardly stirred. Sasuke could feel the warm weight of Naruto’s jacket and he found it immensely comforting. The food tasted good, warm and sweet, and though they hardly spoke, even the company was good. It made the thought of going home feel cold and hollow.

“I have something for you,” Naruto said abruptly as they finished their meal.

Sasuke looked up from his syrupy plate. “Hmm?”

“Gimme your arm,” Naruto said as he dug into his pants pocket.

Scooting closer on the curved booth, Sasuke held his left arm out. Naruto reached inside the jacket and Sasuke felt him secure something warm and smooth around his bicep. A feint blush coloured Sasuke’s cheeks and he looked out the window until Naruto was done. When he was, Sasuke pulled the jacket away enough to see a dark, silvery band around his arm. Raising his eyebrows he looked to Naruto.

Blushing, Naruto focused on his own plate, devoid of syrup. “I figured it’d be better than a tattoo,” he murmured.

Sasuke’s own blush grew and his own eyes fell to the table. “Is this your way of claiming me?”

“It’s not permanent,” Naruto defended, “and there’s a button in the back, for if, you know, you need me but it’s too hard to call. Like in France.” Quickly he added, “Plus you can wear it under your work clothes and no one will notice.”

Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the band, his index falling comfortably on a subtly raised button on the top of the band where his hand would naturally fall if he were to grab his own arm. He didn’t plan on having any more attacks like the one in France, but just the thought of so easily contacting Naruto was comforting nonetheless.

On the band near his inner arm, Sasuke saw a subtle etching of the Namikaze crest, marking Sasuke as the Kyūbi’s—as Naruto’s. Sasuke was grateful that Naruto had found a non-permanent solution, unlike the branding that had been forced on his body as a child, but at the same time he didn’t like it. It meant that there would be an end, at some point in the future Sasuke would not belong to Naruto. The coil stirred slightly.

Instead of voicing that thought, Sasuke asked, “Silver?”

“Tungsten.”

Sasuke’s eyebrows shot up at that.

Naruto shrugged. “Like you, it won’t break.”

Sasuke choked on his rapidly thundering heart. Patting his chest, he sipped some bottled water and focused on the nearly empty lobby—the only other patrons were a bunch of stoners on the other side of the room. His cheeks were burning and he had no words for what his insides were doing.

Chuckling softly, Naruto reached under the table and intertwined their fingers. Contrary to the heavy, darker atmosphere they shared in the bedroom, moments like these gave Naruto pause, where Sasuke was somehow innocent, untouched, _cute_. Naruto had never been allowed to have that pure first love in high school where everything was new and awkward, but as he watched Sasuke collect himself, Naruto wondered if it was something like this.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke gave Naruto’s hand a squeeze and said, “Perhaps we should head out?”

“If you want?” Naruto replied, though he really didn’t want this moment to end.

Sasuke hesitated and then nodded. “The flight was long and my mother’s birthday is tomorrow. I’ll need rest if I’m to face off with the lot of them.”

Naruto frowned at that. He knew that Sasuke’s family was a massive stressor. “You want to meet me afterward?”

“We’ll see how I feel. I also need to prepare for a marathon of meetings.”

“Alright, I’ll go pay.”

Sasuke held up his free hand. “I got it.”

“You sure?” Naruto asked. “I’m the one who made you come.”

“You didn’t make me do anything.” Sasuke smirked and slid out of the booth.


	24. Violated

Sasuke slipped his key into his apartment door, unlocking it. Exhaustion was finally hitting him— _hard_ —but he was also feeling the lack of Naruto, who he had ordered to stay in the car. His apartment had a high level of security and they didn’t need Naruto or the Kyūbi’s face showing up on the complex’s security cameras, not with both the FBI and Orochimaru watching them.

It actually made him long to don Suke. Suke was free—free to be with Naruto, free to walk the streets unwatched and unhindered, free to do whatever Suke pleased. Sasuke Uchiha always had eyes on him. Everyone was watching. Everyone was judging. Everyone. The thought made the coil twist a little.

Opening the door, Sasuke rolled his suitcase into the apartment and onto the prepared sheet and then stilled. Something was off. Closing the door, Sasuke flicked the light switch on and looked around. From the entrance everything looked normal, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t. Did it smell different? He took a deep breath. Maybe a little, but that might be because it was closed up for weeks. He slipped his shoes off and went to grab a sanitary wipe. His hand froze. The container label was facing the wall. He always, _always_ had it perfectly centered on the side table with the label facing forward.

_Someone had been inside his apartment._

The thought sent the coil into Sasuke’s throat, wrapping tightly around his esophagus. He couldn’t breath. His hands shook. His eyes flickered back and forth. Was anything else misplaced? What had they touched? Everything was contaminated. His sanctuary was violated. Sasuke’s skin crawled. It itched. He tore at it. Fuck. What if they were still here? He stumbled back, tearing off his clothes. Everything was dirty. Was it Orochimaru? Had he…? The coil twisted around his racing heart. It hurt.

Sasuke couldn’t see. He couldn’t comprehend. Oxygen. He needed oxygen. But he couldn’t. His lungs didn’t work. He was so dirty. Everything was dirty. Everything was crawling. Filthy. Contaminated. Wrong. Disgusting.

His bloody fingers brushed against something solid on his arm. Naruto. He squeezed his arm as he slid down the door, his vision going black.

Itachi sat in an empty apartment across from Sasuke’s complex. He and his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, were currently eating takeout Chinese in their makeshift headquarters. Of the nearly two dozen TV screens in the room, six of them were of Sasuke’s apartment—two of the garage, one of the hallway where his apartment was located, and three more in the apartment itself. There was another inside his car and one more in his office at Uchiha Inc. The rest showed various known Kyūbi hangouts.

“I think your brother just got dropped off,” Kisame said around a mouthful of noodles and gestured to one of the screens monitoring the parking garage.

Itachi sat straighter in his chair and set his Chinese container down as he watched Sasuke step out of a black SUV with the Inuzuka Securities insignia on the side. Sasuke was smiling at someone inside, but he wasn’t looking at the driver.

“Do we have a shot of who’s in there with him?” Itachi asked.

Kisame flickered through the hacked apartment security cameras on his computer. “No, the windows are too dark.”

Itachi pulled out his phone and called the second team. “When the black SUV with a silver wolf insignia pulls out of the garage, follow it. I want to know who’s in the back seat,” he said as soon as they answered and then hung up.

They watched as Sasuke road the elevator up to the top floor and then walked down the long corridor to the last apartment. He unlocked his door and stepped inside. The night vision mode on the cameras wasn’t the best, but it was enough for Itachi to watch his brother place his luggage on a sheet. When Sasuke flicked the lights on he was looking around. Could he tell that they had been inside?

“You made sure everything was exactly as you found it, correct?” Itachi asked.

“Of course!” Kisame assured as he dug into Itachi’s forgotten food.

But Itachi didn’t relax. Something wasn’t right with Sasuke. His brother froze at the sight of a container of sanitary wipes and then began to shake. He whipped around as if expecting someone and then began to tear into himself. Itachi’s eyes widened at the sight of blood. What the hell? Itachi stood, his chair collapsing behind him.

“Don’t,” Kisame said, grabbing Itachi’s arm. “You’ll endanger the mission if you go.”

“My brother needs my help!” Itachi roared, tearing his arm away. He turned toward the door.

“Wait!” Kisame said, tackling Itachi to the ground. “The screens went black.”

They rolled over so Itachi could see that, not just the six cameras to Sasuke’s apartment, but all of their cameras had suddenly gone black. Scrambling to his phone, Itachi called the second team as Kisame scrambled back to his computer.

“Do you have eyes on that SUV?” he barked as soon as they picked up.

“We did, but it just U-turned and pulled back into the garage,” Yahiko said.

“I’m getting one of them back online,” Kisame said.

“Keep an eye out for it and follow it once it comes back out,” Itachi ordered and ended the call. He walked back over to the TVs as one of them went fuzzy and then back to black, but this time with sound.

 _“I’m here, babe. I’m here. Stay with me. I’m here.”_ The voice was male, and the terrified desperation in the tone made Itachi’s stomach twist. What had they done?

_“C’mon, don’t do that, babe. Focus. Look at me. I’m here. I won’t leave you. Tear into me. Babe, please, don’t do this to me. Don’t leave. Stay with me. I’m here.”_

_“S-some…one…”_ Sasuke’s voice barely broke through the audio. _“Here.”_

_“Yes, babe, I’m here.”_

_“N-no. S-someone el-lse…”_

_“Shit, boss. We gotta get outta here,_ ” a third voice, also male, said.

_“Babe, I’m gonna pick you up, okay? Just stay with me, okay? You gotta stay with me.”_

_“S-still…h-here…”_

Itachi’s eyes widened. The woman at the airport. Damnit. He should’ve realized it sooner. The woman looked like a younger version of mother.

 _“Boss, they say someone’s interfering-,”_ the third voice said, but then the power went out.

Itachi swore and ran to the window. The entire block was out of power. Running out the door, Itachi called for Kisame to follow. Perhaps they could still cut them off at the garage. With the power out, Itachi ran to the stairwell and practically flew down the stairs, but when he reached the ground floor the door leading out of the stairwell wouldn’t budge.

A man appeared on the other side, dressed in an entirely black suit and wearing a white fox mask. He tisked and shook his finger.

“FBI!” Itachi said, slamming his badge against the window. “Open this door NOW.”

“And let you ruin the poor boy even more?” the man said. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage Agent Itachi?”

Itachi pulled his gun out and aimed it at the window, releasing the safety. “Open this door.”

“Stay away from Sasuke Uchiha. He is not your target and he is under our protection. You’ve been warned.”

“Who are you?” Itachi asked as Kisame finally caught up to him at the bottom of the stairs.

“We are the Kyūbi and we are not your enemy unless you interfere with what is ours,” the fox masked man said and then stepped out of sight.

“Wait!” Itachi ordered and then shot the door handle. When it finally busted and they got out of the stairwell, the man was gone.

“Who the fuck was that?” Kisame asked.

“The Kyūbi, apparently.” Itachi pulled out his phone and called team two. “Report.”

“The SUV sped out of the garage and we tried to follow, but quickly got caught in a speed trap,” Yahiko grumbled. “Nagato is sorting it out with the traffic officer now.”

Itachi jammed the end-call button and swore.

Naruto intertwined his fingers with Sasuke’s, keeping the other from digging into himself anymore. He held Sasuke close and for only the second time in his life, prayed to any higher power that would listen. _Please don’t let him break_. Naruto kissed the top of Sasuke’s head.

“Take us to Sakura’s,” Naruto ordered the driver, who was thankfully not Kiba, but one of Sai’s men posing as an Inuzuka employee, Suigetsu Hōzuki.

“Sure thing, boss,” Suigetsu said and turned northward toward uptown Konoha where Sakura lived.

Unfortunately, Granny had immediately returned to her vacation after Sasuke boarded his last plane and Shizune was tending to Hinata. That left only Sakura, who despite their differences, Naruto still absolutely trusted. Like Shizune, Sakura had also trained under Tsunade, but since she had decided to part from the Kyūbi mafia that training had stopped at eighteen. Yet, Tsunade still swore by Sakura’s skill, which had only improved over time. As Sasuke’s blood soaked into Naruto’s clothes, he knew that it was a skill they desperately needed now.

“Stay with me, babe,” Naruto murmured against Sasuke’s temple as they pulled up to Sakura’s building. He couldn’t loose Sasuke like he had lost Hinata. He couldn’t fail again.

Kicking the door open, Naruto slipped from the SUV with Sasuke in his arms and bypassed the elevator. Suigetsu was on his heels as they raced up the three flights of stairs. When they reached her apartment, Suigetsu knocked for him.

It took two rounds of hard knocking before Sakura finally opened the door in her pajamas, her hair in braids. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” Sakura’s eyes fell down to the bleeding man in his arms. “Those are self inflicted,” she said.

“Sakura, please,” Naruto pleaded.

Sakura shook her head. “No. That man needs serious help and you need to stay the hell away from him.”

Naruto held Sasuke closer. “I will go to the hospital if I need to. I will let my face be shown on all of their security cameras and let the FBI find me if it’ll help him.”

“They’ll arrest you and sentence you to death!” Sakura spat.

“Then help us this once or, I swear on my parents’ grave, that will be my end.”

“What about Boruto?” Sakura seethed.

“He’ll be better off without me,” Naruto said firmly, and he meant it. He knew, deep down, that he wasn’t what was best for Boruto, but with Hinata so ill, Naruto was the only family the boy had left. But if Sasuke broke, Naruto had a feeling he’d break too. “Please, Sakura. Just this once.”

Sakura sighed and opened her door wider. “You’re a fool, Naruto Uzumaki.”


	25. Childhood Friends

Sakura spent nearly two hours tending to Sasuke’s injuries. Naruto didn’t leave his side the entire time. At least this time she had sedatives. Naruto really hadn’t wanted her to use them, but Sasuke was so on edge that every time she attempted to approach him it would send him into another panic attack, even whilst Naruto was holding him. When Sasuke awoke Naruto hoped they could find some calm ground to settle on.

Sakura leaned against her bedroom door and looked on as Naruto sat in her bed holding a sleeping, bandaged man. It was such a sad, serene image. The care and worry was evident on Naruto’s tired face. She sighed and rested her head against the doorframe with a frown.

Naruto gave her a small smile. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Sakura bit her lip to keep her sharp retort in check. Instead she asked, “Why?”

Naruto gave a small shrug. “I don’t know, really,” he admitted and looked down at Sasuke, tucking a small strand of thick, black hair behind his lover’s ear. “I did try to stay away, but fate wouldn’t have it.” He looked back up at her. “And now I can’t abandon the one person who accepts me.”

“Accepts you?” Sakura’s eyebrows shot up. “Nar, none of us care that you’re gay-”

“Not that,” Naruto cut in. “I know my…” Naruto searched for the right word. “Gender requirements have caused problems, but I accept them. I accept the fact that I can’t desire a woman the same way I can a man.”

“Then what can he accept that your friends can’t?”

“My sexuality.”

Sakura shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“You were close to Hinata when we were married, weren’t you?” Naruto asked.

“’Course,” Sakura said with a shrug. “All the girls were close back then.”

Naruto’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Did you gossip? About sex and stuff?”

“Yeah?” Sakura said slowly, thinking back on those timid, bashful conversations.

“How did she describe it?”

Sakura blushed. “Gentle,” she said automatically. “Hinata used to brag about how you were always so gentle you shook.”

“And you saw Sasuke and me at Club Suna months back, right?”

“Yeah?”

Naruto raised his eyes to her. “Did I seem very gentle then?”

Sakura’s blush darkened and she looked away, unable to handle the dark intensity in his eyes. “Um, not really.”

“And what if I was to tell you that for Sasuke and I, that was gentle?”

Sakura’s head snapped up and her eyes widened. How she saw the sight before her changed. There was no longer a worried man gently cradling his lover’s head in his lap, but a feral beast protecting what was his whilst his injured mate slept. Naruto’s posture or attitude hadn’t changed, but how Sakura’s interpretation of him had.

Hinata was a doe, prey to be devoured by the predator before Sakura. Neither Hinata nor Naruto was, by their very nature, what the other needed. Hinata needed a protector, someone strong enough to shield her from what she couldn’t handle, but also someone who could support her growth. Naruto, despite his attempts to handle her with care, overshadowed and overpowered her. It was like asking a beast to tend to a delicate flower.

Naruto, on the other hand, was a mighty king of beasts, strong and fierce, but he wasn’t like Sai, who Sakura had remembered from her brief relationship with. Sai had needed a gentle, understanding hand who could create an escape from the harsh, bloody world he lived in. Sakura had assumed that Naruto was the same. But what if Naruto reviled in that world? What if that world was as much a part of him as Naruto was of it? A relationship with someone like Hinata would have slowly torn him apart.

“Your relationship with her was doomed to fail, wasn’t it?” Sakura said quietly. “Even if she had been a boy.”

Naruto shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a monster.”

“No you’re not,” Sakura defended, stepping forward.

Naruto smiled sadly at her. “And now you’ve made my point. I _am_ a monster, Sakura. There’s no way to debate it. Your initial instinct is to defend against it. Sasuke’s was to accept it, to accept me for what I am.”

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but couldn’t find the words. She wanted to defend him, to say he wasn’t a monster, but her only argument against it was that he wasn’t a monster because he was Naruto. But what if he was anyone else? If she had met anyone else who had done even half of what she suspected he had done in the name of the Kyūbi, than they would have been a monster in her eyes. Hadn’t that been why she chosen to go Straight? She loved Naruto like a brother, she loved all of her childhood friends, but that world bread a darkness that she couldn’t live with.

“It’s okay, Sakura,” Naruto said. “I know you have your reasons for not liking him. I realize how suicidal this relationship could be, but…” Naruto’s voice dropped to barely a whisper, “I need him.”

With a small nod, Sakura said nothing more on the subject. She was still weary of the relationship, she didn’t want Naruto to get hurt again, but she accepted that perhaps there was nothing she could do but watch. Sakura had never truly been a part of the Kyūbi mafia, she had only seen the affect it had had on her family and friends, but knew nothing of it outside of the surface layer of darkness. As Kyūbi, Naruto was by far farther in that world than any of them. That world had killed both of her parents and her older brother. If loving someone like Sasuke Uchiha was what helped Naruto survive it, than Sakura would do what she could from the outside to support it.

Raising the phone in her hand, she said, “His phone keeps going off. Mostly some Temari chick, but I just saw Gaara’s name appear.”

“Gaara?” Naruto’s brows rose. There was only one Gaara in Konoha City that he knew of and if he remembered correctly he had an older sister named Temari. Why would Sasuke be involved with them, though?

Sakura tossed him the cell phone as it began ringing again. Naruto caught it with one hand and looked at the name: Gaara. Swiping to answer, Naruto put the phone to his ear and said, “The usual?”

“Understood,” a familiar hoarse voice replied, and then they both hung up.

“Where’s Suigetsu?” Naruto asked.

“Asleep on the couch,” Sakura said, turning from the room. “I’ll wake him.”

* * *

An hour later Naruto stepped out of a hidden room connected to his private box at Konoha’s only official fighting arena, which was of course owned by NamiCorp. He had left Sasuke asleep on a couch inside with Suigetsu keeping watch. Sitting down he was immediately joined by his brothers. Shikamaru was on his right with a large to-go cup of coffee and Sai on his left in a sharp suit with the tie loose. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.

“The woman wanted to see an opera,” was all Sai said to that.

“Sorry for cutting into your after sex,” Naruto said, scratching the back of his head with the realization that he’d hear about this later from Ino.

“You realize it’s three in the morning?” Shikamaru said. “What happened after you two left the club?”

Naruto frowned, his eyes turning cold. “Someone bugged his apartment.”

“FBI,” Sai said. “ _We_ gave them a firm warning.”

Naruto and Shikamaru immediately understood. Sai had portrayed the Kyūbi and acted in Naruto’s stead. It was a trick that only they three knew about and had only used a handful of times to keep people from suspecting the truth.

Naruto nodded his approval. This way if he was caught on camera at all, Itachi would think that Naruto wasn’t the boss, just perhaps someone tied to him. It would also, perhaps, make Itachi back off of Sasuke a little. They might’ve wanted to use Itachi to get rid of Orochimaru, but what happened tonight could not happen again. He couldn’t loose Sasuke.

Gaara led his sister through the long, circular corridor of the upper level of the arena, where all of the private rooms were. Despite the early time, the arena was still loud and active—the main events had finished hours ago, but NamiCorp allowed unknown fighters to use the ring afterwards. Stopping at NamiCorp’s private room, Gaara turned to his sister.

“Listen very closely,” Gaara said in a low voice. “Do not look anyone in the eye, keep your head down. Do not say anything unless spoken to directly, and when you do speak, keep it short and polite. Understand?”

Temari raised an eyebrow at that. Her no-nonsense, shit’s given brother seemed nervous. Gaara was a pain in the ass, but he was never nervous. “Why?” she asked. “If they know something about Sasuke than we do whatever’s necessary to find out.”

“This _is_ necessary,” Gaara grumbled. “You know what I do for a living, right?”

Temari frowned. They didn’t talk about it much, but she was well aware of how her family operated: every generation had two sons, the first for the legal corporate world and the second for their illegal underground enterprise. Gaara was the second son.

“In my world, the man inside far outranks even me. We don’t want to piss him off. He could slaughter our entire family with the flick of his finger,” Gaara said.

Though surprised by that, Temari nodded in understanding. Their father had made it seem like no one outranked them in Konoha. Who was more powerful than the Suna Family?

Gaara knocked and waited. When a bored looking man opened the door Temari had to do a double take. It was Mr. Surprisingly Buff from nearly a year ago. She blushed and lowered her eyes. She never had called him, or returned his shirt. Following her brother in, Temari lifted her eyes briefly to see the man she had dubbed Mr. Gallery from Sasuke’s escape from her gallery show weeks ago. He was sat next to a man with a creepy smile in a suit. Where was the dangerous man who outranked her brother in the underworld?

Gaara bowed his head respectfully to the two seated men and sat down next to Mr. Gallery. Temari took the seat next to him.

“I hear congratulations are in order, Uzumaki,” Gaara said. “Word of your recent marriage has spread like wildfire.”

Mr. Gallery, whom Temari assumed was Uzumaki, raised an eyebrow, but otherwise kept his eyes on the ongoing fighters below. “That was quick.”

“You two weren’t exactly subtle about it earlier,” Mr. Buff said, coming around to lean against the windowless opening to the arena. Temari was having a hard time remembering his name. Did he ever give it?

Uzumaki broke into a smug grin. “Aww, jealous, Shika?”

Shikamaru, that was it! He rolled his eyes and sipped his jumbo coffee.

“I’m actually an acquaintance of your lovely bride,” Gaara said.

Temari could feel the immediate tension in the room. Uzumaki’s grin was gone in an instant.

“Oh?” was all Uzumaki said.

“Suke has been a childhood friend of my sister, here, practically since birth.”

Temari’s head shot up. Suke? Gaara’s hand covered hers and squeezed before she could say anything.

Uzumaki’s eyes slowly left the fight and slid to Temari. The ice in those deep, blue eyes froze her to the core. “I see.”

Temari felt her heart leave her body as every nerve in her froze in fear. Her head screamed to _run_ —immediately and as far as possible. She had always sensed an unseen darkness in her brother, slowly growing and festering the older he got and the farther up he moved in the family business, but the darkness in this man far surpassed that. He may look bright and sunny with that blonde hair and tan skin, but beneath that was a monster Temari couldn’t bare to be near.

Itachi had been right on the phone. Sasuke was in danger. She had to get him as far away from this man as humanly possible.

“I suppose, as my Suke’s childhood friend, you must know an awful lot about her?” Uzumaki said, his voice oblivious to warmth.

“They are not as close as they used to be,” Gaara said.

“I know everything about Suke,” Temari snapped. Her brother squeezed her hand so hard it nearly cracked, but it did not deter her. “That’s why I’m trying to find her. I know Suke’s in danger.”

“Please, excuse my sister. As an artist she is at times overdramatic.”

Temari ripped her hand from her brother’s grasp before he broke it. “I’m hardly dramatic! Itachi said that Suke was in danger.” She glared at the blond beast before her. “Where is Suke?”

Gaara went to speak and Uzumaki raised a hand, silencing her brother as he returned to watching the fights. “My Suke has had a trying family dispute and is resting now.”

“Where is sh-”

“Enough,” Gaara snapped and glared at her. “You have your answers. Suke is fine.”

“I want to see her,” Temari insisted. She knew this was a dangerous situation, but she couldn’t back down. She had to get Sasuke out of here. She had failed to protect him from whatever has been going on with him over the years, but she wouldn’t do that anymore.

The tension thickened as Temari glared at Uzumaki, awaiting an answer, but he seemed oblivious of her as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Temari’s glare deepened. He better not do that around Sasuke. Sasuke hates smoke.

“Uh, boss?” All eyes but Uzumaki’s turned to a white haired man who popped his head out of a side door. “Sorry to interrupt, but you said to-”

Uzumaki abruptly stood, silencing the white haired man. As he walked toward the door, Temari went to speak, but Gaara slapped his hand over her mouth. By the time she managed to remove it, the door was closing behind Uzumaki.

“By the way,” Shikamaru said, “I believe you still have my shirt.”

Temari shot him a glare.

Sasuke looked up as Naruto entered the unfamiliar room and immediately felt calmer. He had awoken sore and sluggish a few minutes ago in a room he didn’t recognize with a stranger staring at him. The stranger had introduced himself—or reintroduced himself—as Suigetsu, one of Sasuke’s bodyguards, but Sasuke could hardly recall meeting the man. The memory was fuzzy at best and his mind seemed slow to process much of anything.

The coil was a different matter entirely. That familiar spring had surged into his throat upon waking, making itself at home and threatening to choke off his air supply at any moment. His bodyguard seemed to have realized this and gone straight to the door, summoning Naruto. As soon as Sasuke’s eyes fell upon that familiar form with silky blonde hair, broad shoulders, and a cigarette hanging from those crooked lips, Sasuke wanted to rush to him, but his body felt too sluggish to move.

“Don’t get up,” Naruto murmured and hurried to the couch as Suigetsu politely excused himself from the room. “You’ve been sedated, let yourself rest.”

“Sedated?” Sasuke croaked out, his throat hoarse and dry. He didn’t remember that. The last thing he clearly remembered was eating waffles with Naruto.

Nodding, Naruto called for Suigetsu. When the bodyguard popped his head back in, Naruto said, “Bring some water.”

Sasuke frowned, but waited until he had some water before saying anything. The cool liquid soothed his throat, but did nothing for his foggy brain. “What happened?”

Naruto too frowned and immediately went to light another cigarette after finishing the first, then seemed to think better of it and set the pack back down with a sigh. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Sasuke strained his brain for clarity but it didn’t seem forthcoming. Eventually, he said, “Leaving the waffle house.”

Naruto nodded at that and looked down at their hands. Sasuke’s eyes followed his and he realized how bandaged he was. What happened? His hands began to curl around Naruto’s as the coil surged back into this throat. His mind rattled with panic but all he could recall was Naruto’s terrified voice calling out to him, over and over again.

“Look at me, Sas,” Naruto commanded gently.

Sasuke’s eyes immediately went to his.

Naruto smiled as if relieved. “Still here?”

“Still here,” Sasuke said softly, the coil receding back. He took a deep breath, his eyes drifting closed. He was tired. He felt Naruto’s warm fingers comb through his hair.

“Going back to sleep on me?”

“Maybe,” Sasuke murmured and forced his eyes open. Now that Naruto was here, calming the coil, Sasuke also realized he felt rather numb, but it wasn’t a nothingness numb. It was as if every nerve in his entire body had been so over sensitized that it had just gone numb, like when you laugh so much that your face tingles with numbness.

Naruto brushed a kiss across his forehead. “If you’re tired, sleep.”

“Not yet. Tell me what happened.”

Sighing, Naruto frowned and brushed some of Sasuke’s hair around his ear. He was quiet for a moment, but when he finally spoke his voice was soft, but firm and to-the-point. “Your place was bugged. When you figured it out you had a panic attack, worse than the one in France. We got you out of there, but you weren’t really responding to me. Sakura had to sedate you in order to bandage you.”

As Naruto spoke, the panic crept back in, the vile disgust wiggled and squirmed in his insides. He felt the rough brush of Naruto’s callused skin against his cheek, warm and firm and so very there. It helped him focus, to stay here. He appreciated Naruto’s straightforwardness; it made it easier to digest what he couldn’t remember. Someone had been in his apartment. Despite the truth of it, Sasuke didn’t even want to think about it.

“Where are we?” he asked, choosing to change the subject.

“NamiCorp’s box at the Konoha Fighting Arena.”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at that.

“Your phone was blowing up. I didn’t realize you were so close to the Suna Family.”

Sasuke went still. He hadn’t told Naruto about his engagement yet. There was never really a good time, and to be honest, he preferred forgetting unpleasant things like that when he was with Naruto.

“It’s fine,” Naruto assured him, misreading the tension in Sasuke. “I occasionally work with Gaara. He came with his sister, I assured her that you’re fine.”

“She was content with that?” Sasuke asked. He couldn’t believe Temari would leave it at that. The woman was persistent, if nothing else. Naruto picked up his pack of cigarettes and lit one. Obviously, she wasn’t. Sasuke ran a bandaged hand over his face. “She still here?”

Naruto took a long drag. “You don’t need to see her. I’m sure Shika and Sai will get rid of her shortly.”

“I doubt that,” Sasuke said with a sigh and then, with Naruto’s help, forced himself to sit up. His groggy body shook with the effort. “What the hell did she sedate me with?”

“I don’t think it’s just the sedatives. You did a number on yourself.”

Sasuke grimaced. “How bad?”

“Your face is about the only thing untouched.”

“Fuck.” Sasuke sighed. “What did you tell Temari?”

“Apparently Itachi called her looking for you,” Naruto said, leaning against the back of the couch. “I told her you were fine and had just had a family dispute.”

“Itachi called her?”

Naruto intertwined their fingers. “It was the FBI that bugged your apartment.”

Rage filled Sasuke. How dare he! How dare that bastard defile his sanctuary! Naruto said nothing as Sasuke’s clipped nails dug into his skin. He didn’t care if Sasuke’s anger made him bleed a little. He’d rather Sasuke be angry than have to go through that again. There had been an insanity about Sasuke before, as he tore into his own skin, which overwrote his awareness of anything else. Sasuke was here now. He was angry, but he was _here_.

A knock sounded on the door, snapping Sasuke from his anger. A second later Suigetsu reappeared in the doorway. “Things are getting a little heated out here, boss.”

They could hear Temari yelling from the other room.

Sasuke sighed and plopped his head against Naruto’s shoulder. “Just let her in already.”

“You sure?” Naruto asked.

“I’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t.”

Naruto gave Suigetsu a nod and the bodyguard let Temari in, but stopped Gaara from following, shutting the door sharply behind her. Even alone, Temari didn’t hesitate. She rushed over, rallying off a list of threats if anyone so much as touched Sasuke, but then halted at the sight before her.

Her fiancé was sitting on the lone couch with Uzumaki, leaning heavily into the other man’s shoulder—he was actually, willingly, _touching_ someone. And, oh god, Temari couldn’t help but gasp at how heavily bandaged he was. She could even see reddish-brown spotting in places. The only visible skin was on Sasuke’s face, which was hollow looking and deathly pale. He was wearing gray sweats and a t-shirt that were not his own and they revealed how incredibly thin he had become.

Tears filled Temari’s eyes as she realized how willfully blind she had been to the man she said she loved. How had this happened? Who had done this to him? Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Uzumaki.

“Don’t,” Sasuke said softly, his voice hoarse but firm. “It’s not his fault.”

“Who did this to you?” Temari said as she knelt before Sasuke, but dare not touch him. Uzumaki looked away as if he wasn’t part of the conversation, but Temari noticed his fingers gently caressing Sasuke’s side.

Sasuke lifted his head from Uzumaki’s shoulder, but it seemed to take a great deal of effort. “I did.”

“What?” Temari breathed, shocked.

“Itachi broke into my apartment and I freaked out. I did this to me.” Sasuke looked steadily down at her. His eyes were so exhausted. Temari had never seen him so incredibly defeated, so vulnerable. Then something happened that Temari never thought she’d see—Sasuke’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sick,” he whispered. “And I’m angry, and I’m tired.”

Uzumaki pulled Sasuke to him then, tucking Sasuke’s head under his chin. He ran a hand through Sasuke’s hair and Temari noticed the bloodied claw marks between his fingers, but Uzumaki seemed to pay it no mind.

Temari’s mind was whirling. This was a Sasuke she didn’t know, one so close to breaking that she feared speaking. And this was the result of Itachi breaking into his apartment? That had pushed him so close to the edge? How many times had she come over unannounced? He had always seemed so composed, but how close had he been then? How far had she unknowingly pushed him?

“It’s been a long day,” Uzumaki said. “Perhaps you two could talk some other time?”

Temari merely nodded, too baffled to speak. She stepped back and watched as Uzumaki stood and then assisted Sasuke up. She had never seen Sasuke allow anyone to touch him, let alone help him, not since they were children. To the Uchiha, getting help, even if unasked for, was a sign of weakness and the Uchiha refused to be seen as weak. Yet, as Sasuke leaned into Uzumaki and left the room, Temari did not see a weak man—a tired one, yes, but not a weak one. There was a seething determination about Sasuke that was beginning to brew, and Temari wondered if this was a spark of the man he would have been all along had Itachi never left, had whatever occurred behind doors that stomped out the child she once knew never happened. It left Temari with the feeling that things were about to change.


	26. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been ages! Life has been busy, but things will hopefully get more scheduled moving forward.

Sasuke lay in a bed that was not his, watching beige curtains flutter in the warm, early autumn breeze and listened to the clattering of pots and pans downstairs. Occasionally a light giggle would make its way up the stairs and into the bedroom. Naruto had brought Sasuke to his home at NamiCorp, the one he shared with his son, Boruto.

Home. It was a concept that rolled around in Sasuke’s mind. It felt so foreign and imaginary, like it was something from a different country that he wasn’t able to fully understand or experience. Sure he had grown up in a house and his apartment had been a sanctuary, but neither had ever been a home. They had never felt this warm, this safe. Nor had they ever been filled with such pleasant, comforting sounds.

As the sedatives left his system, Sasuke’s mind had begun to clear to some degree. He tried not to think too much about what happened, but it left him feeling…feeling…. He wasn’t sure. It was too much. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to stay in this bed forever, listening to these sounds—the sounds of an actual family—and disappear. He wanted to escape. He didn’t want to be Sasuke Uchiha anymore.

“-suke!” A bouncing ball of sunshine bounded into the room. “Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!” Boruto tumbled to the floor in front of the bed. Sasuke sat up, worried the kid had hurt himself, but Boruto just grinned up at him from where he had collided into the side table. “Lunch is ready!”

It was already lunchtime? Had he actually managed to sleep? Sasuke relaxed against the edge of the bed, looking down at Naruto’s son. “You okay?” His voice was rough and groggy sounding.

Boruto nodded. “Yeah, I run into stuff all the time.”

Sasuke huffed at that.

“Hey Sasuke?” Boruto moved to sit up, legs crossed. He didn’t continue, hesitating as he picked at the loose threads on his pant leg.

“Hmm?” Sasuke prompted. The kid really did look like his father—albeit a more innocent version.

“Dad said that you’re gonna stay here for awhile and that you’re hurt and that I shouldn’t ask you about it.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that. They hadn’t talked much last night after leaving the arena—not that Sasuke was really awake enough to do so. Naruto had brought Sasuke home, put him to bed, and then crawled in behind him. Sasuke didn’t know how much he actually slept. He didn’t feel like he did at all, but if it was lunchtime then he must have. He vaguely recalled Naruto getting out of the bed when the sun was still dim, but he had thought it hadn’t been that long ago.

“I’m happy you’re here.”

Sasuke blinked. “Huh?”

Boruto smiled brightly at him and then bounced onto his feet. “Are you hungry?” he asked, offering his tiny hand. “Dad and I made this vegetable thing. Can you believe it? Dad made _vegetables_!”

Sasuke felt the corners of his lips twitch at that. Apparently the mafia boss didn’t normally eat his vegetables. How come that didn’t surprise him? Sitting up, he tentatively took that tiny hand and felt the warmth in the child’s little fingers. He was again reminded of that concept of home. He took Boruto’s hand more fully and stood, allowing the child to lead him from the room.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sasuke was greeted by the delicious smell of mixed vegetables, hearty herbs, and sizzling spices. Boruto lead him around the corner and into the kitchen, which was a bit of a mess—apparently Naruto wasn’t a particularly neat cook—and a table laden with bright, colourful dishes and warm bread. Letting go of Boruto’s hand, Sasuke walked over to the man setting the table and pulled him into a soft kiss.

Naruto blushed, but returned the kiss, his hands resting gently on Sasuke’s narrow hips. “Hey,” he murmured against those pale, dusty rose lips.

“You could have made yourself meat,” Sasuke whispered. He was smiling properly now. It wasn’t a grin and it wasn’t particularly large, but it was warm and genuine, and it had never felt easier to smile than it did right now in this tiny, messy, brightly coloured kitchen.

“I’ll get my fill of meat later.” Naruto winked and then pulled out a chair for Sasuke. “Eat, before it gets cold.”

Boruto took the seat across from him, completely unfazed by the sight of his father kissing another man, and Naruto sat at the head of the table.

“I researched all of the recipes this morning!” Boruto said proudly. “And some of the vegetables are from my garden.”

“You have a garden?” Sasuke asked, a little surprised, as he began to eat. The dishes were all delicious and perfectly seasoned.

Boruto nodded around a bite of potato. “I’m a growing boy and I need well balanced meals! It was the only way to get dad to cook more vegetables.”

Naruto cleared his throat, blushing slightly. “I’m not that bad.”

“Dad, the only vegetable you’d eat was boxed potatoes and canned corn!”

“Way to sell a guy out,” Naruto deadpanned.

Boruto giggled gleefully. The rest of the meal continued smoothly from there. Boruto was quite the little chatterbox, but Sasuke found that he didn’t mind it. The kid had an innocent kind of wit about him and he was very observant. Any time Sasuke began to feel the coil twitch inside his gut, Boruto would change the subject or do something that would have it receding back. It was nearly as easy being around the child as it was Naruto.

As they ate and talked, Sasuke slowly began to warm back up, his senses rekindling from the numbness of last night. But the outside world would not allow him a very long recovery time. As Boruto’s easy laughter once again filled the space around the kitchen table, a shrill chime cut through the air. Sasuke’s phone. His body abruptly moved on its own, like a well-trained dog, and he rushed up the stairs. That ringer demanded answering.

With shaking hands, he snatched it off the side table and answered. He didn't have to look at the screen. The ringer alone told him who it was. “Father,” he said emotionlessly, the coil shooting into his throat.

“You’re not at your apartment,” his father said in a similar tone, but the accusation was understatedly obvious and he suddenly felt like he was six years old again. “Where are you?”

Sasuke had to hold back his tongue. He didn’t even think his father knew where he lived. The coil was squeezing his esophagus and his heart raced in his chest. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Naruto standing in the doorway, filling the space like an angry god. There was a hard edge to the blue in Naruto’s eyes and it sent a shutter of relief through Sasuke.

“Answer me, boy,” his father demanded in his ear.

“I’m in a meeting,” Sasuke said calmly, the coil loosening as Naruto’s eyes steadily held his gaze.

“You have no meetings scheduled today, Sasuke Uchiha. Don’t lie to me. Where are you?”

The name stung in his brain and Sasuke dropped his eyes to the floor. The coil strengthened its hold on him and his bandaged fingers pressed against the bandage on his abdomen. He felt the sting of the wounds below, but it did nothing to relieve the pressure. Warm fingers wrapped around his bicep, pressing the hard metal band into his skin—the band that dubbed him Suke Uzumaki.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. Suke Uzumaki. He wanted to be her. He didn’t want to be him anymore. He didn’t want to hear the demanding voice on the other end of the phone, he didn’t want anything to do with the man who had sold his own son for a profitable alliance. He wanted to be free. He wanted to be Her. Suke wasn’t tied down by the Uchiha name. She hadn’t been used and abused. She wasn’t held together by duct tape and will alone.

“Sasuke Uchiha, need I remind you that I am the head of this family. Answer me or there will be hell to pay!” his father growled into his ear.

He felt warm breath on his other ear as Naruto whispered, “You are my mine, an Uzumaki.”

Sasuke’s eyes flew open and air flooded his lungs. He looked up into those deep blue eyes and saw both endless warmth for him, but also hard steel for anyone else that messed with what was Naruto’s. Sasuke took strength in that and said coolly, “What are you going to do? Sell me again? I’m in a meeting. I’ll see you at mother’s party later.”

He hung up, powered down the phone, and threw it to the side.

Naruto leaned down and brushed his lips against Sasuke’s. “Mine.”

“Yours,” Sasuke murmured as the coil fell away. He wrapped his arms around Naruto and pulled the man down into a kiss. They did not devour each other this time. It did not overwhelm or force Sasuke to forget. It was a soft kiss, slowly pulling him back from the phone call, from his father, from the coil’s reach—pulling him home.

A giggle pulled them apart. Sasuke blushed softly and buried his face in Naruto’s neck as the other looked over his shoulder at the boy peaking around the door. Boruto smiled cheekily. He was happy to see his father happy. He didn’t care that it so happened to be with another man.

“Ino’s here with Sasuke’s things,” Boruto said.

Naruto felt the man in his arms tense up. “Alright, we’ll be down in a sec, ‘kay?”

“Alright. I’m gonna go play outside with Kurama.”

His son disappeared down the stairs with a series of heavy thumps. Naruto sighed. Would the boy ever learn to take the stairs lightly? Rubbing Sasuke’s lean side, he coaxed those dark eyes up to his. “Sorry.”

Sasuke was frowning, his fingers clinging to Naruto’s shirtsleeves. “What for?”

“I should have asked first, but I didn’t think you’d want to go back to your apartment straight away, so I had Ino go get some of your things.”

“It’s fine,” Sasuke murmured, not meeting Naruto’s eyes.

Naruto brushed his lips against the other man’s forehead. It obviously wasn’t, but he didn’t want to argue right now. He wasn’t sure how stable Sasuke was and he wanted to give the other man time to find some sort of balance.

“You mentioned a party on the phone?” Naruto said instead.

Sasuke pulled from him and nodded.

“Would it happen to be this one?” He asked, pulling a navy envelope out of his back pocket. He unfolded it and handed the overly fancy invitation to Sasuke.

Sasuke’s eyes widened and he snatched the envelope out of Naruto’s large, tanned hands. Ripping it open he pulled out an invitation to his mother’s birthday. It didn’t surprise him that his father was using this as an excuse to make more business connections, which was typical of the man, but he was shocked to say the least that Naruto got an invitation.

He looked up from the invitation to Naruto and then back down. The coil didn’t move and he felt his shoulders relax. He found himself… relieved. He wasn’t going to be at his parents’ penthouse alone. Obviously he wouldn’t be allowed to touch Naruto and all conversations would be as business acquaintances, but at least he’d be there.

“You gonna help a lady out or not!?” Ino called from downstairs.

“Yeah, we’re coming!” Naruto called and turned to head down, but then paused at the door when he realized Sasuke wasn’t following. He looked back to find that Sasuke hadn’t moved at all.

Sasuke bit his lip and looked down at his bandaged hands. Last night he had been too numb really to think much on it, but now he recalled the look Temari had when she saw his bandaged state. He had seen the horror in her eyes, the pity. He hated it. Boruto had been different. The kid was like an extension of Naruto. He saw how fucked up Sasuke was, but didn’t judge him for it, he just accepted Sasuke for who he was. But Ino… Sasuke didn’t really know her. She had seemed nice enough at the waffle house months ago, but…

A large, warm hand took hold of his bandaged ones and gave his fingers a squeeze.

“We should change your bandages. Why don’t you go wash up and I’ll bring your things up?” Naruto said gently.

Sasuke nodded and waited for Naruto to leave the room before heading into the en suit bathroom. After flicking on the lights, he stripped from his clothes and then began removing the bandages. Seeing himself in bandages had been bad enough, but as he removed the wrappings from his stomach and saw the little, black stitches the coil sprung to life.

He stared at the man in the mirror and didn’t recognize himself. Who was this man? He was so thin that his broken skin draped over bone and hollowed out where there should have been muscle. The bandages continued to fall away, revealing more blood-crushed skin and more centipedes of black stitches crawling across his body. The man in the mirror was a Frankenstein skeleton, held together by black thread, a poorly conceived puzzle of butchered pieces.

What had he done to himself? His eyes filled with tears. How could he have hurt himself so badly, dug so deeply, that he had to be stitched back together? How could he not remember doing something so terrible? A pained cry left his lips. He wasn’t in physical pain. Utter anguish wrapped around the coil, fueling it as it tried to squeeze the life out of Sasuke.

The lights flicked off and Sasuke jumped. Naruto stood in the doorway, the afternoon light highlighting his silhouette. Sasuke watched, confused, as Naruto stripped. He couldn’t find his words, the coil choking them off. Shutting the door, Naruto cut off the only source of light. Sasuke couldn’t see. The man in the mirror disappeared.

“Breath,” Naruto said softly. His voice was so close, yet they weren’t touching. “Stay with me.”

Sasuke forced himself to take a deep breath, to fight against the coil. “I-I’m… here,” he struggled to say. “S-stil-l here.”

“Good.” Naruto’s voice was calm, steady. He gently turned Sasuke so they faced each other and then took one of Sasuke’s hands. “What do you feel?”

Naruto ran Sasuke’s fingers over his forearm, following the vein from wrist to elbow. Sasuke focused on his sense of touch. It was subtle, he hadn’t noticed it when the lights were on, when he could see, but the skin on Naruto’s forearm was slightly puckered. When he could follow the scar on his own, Naruto moved his other hand to another scar. This one was on Naruto’s chest, just to the right of his heart. It was slightly circular.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke moved his hands over the heavy muscles and sharp contours of Naruto’s body. With each new scar he discovered, his breathing eased, the coil fading away. Naruto was covered in scars, some too faint for the eyes to see, others hidden behind tattoos or buried beneath more recent scars.

“Your scars will fade with time,” Naruto said. “Your body will heal and flesh out with food. But none of that will happen if your soul doesn’t stay here.” He lifted his hands and cupped Sasuke’s cheeks. “So stay here.”

Sasuke took hold of Naruto’s wrists and squeezed as hard as he could, assuring Naruto of his strength. “I’m here,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Louder.”

“I’m here!”

“Louder!”

“I’M HERE, GODDAMN IT!” Sasuke screamed.

“Good,” Naruto practically purred and then kissed him so hard they collided with the wall.

Sasuke gasped and Naruto’s tongue dove in, licking up Sasuke’s taste and devouring his moans. Sasuke’s nails dug into Naruto’s wrists as he kissed back and pressed his body against Naruto’s. The warm, hard flesh stung his wounds and irritated his stitches, but he didn’t care—he reveled in the pain, it spurred him on, made him feel alive.

Naruto pulled from the kiss, his breath hot and moist on Sasuke’s lips as he spoke, “Now make sure you stay here, and if you leave, know that I will follow you all the way to hell to pull you back. You got that?”

Sasuke’s heart thudded in his chest and he was fill with an overwhelming emotion for Naruto. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt for Naruto, it pulled him toward Naruto, and filled him with a need for Naruto—not a sexual need, but something deeper than that. It made words bubble into the back of his throat, but they got stuck there and he didn’t know what to say, how to verbally express how he felt. So, he said the only thing he could, “Yeah, I got it.”

“Good.” Naruto brushed his lips against Sasuke’s. “Let’s shower.”

Sasuke stood before the bed, wrapped in bandages and an orange towel. Three suitcases filled with his stuff stood before it. Stuff that had been touched by Ino and possibly Itachi and who knows who else. He didn’t want to touch any of it. None of it was clean, not anymore, and now it sat there, oozing contamination onto the floor. He could feel it spreading, crawling toward him. Sasuke took a step back, his heart pounding in his ears.

Naruto came out of the bathroom, his skin still damp from his own shower, and wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s waist. He rested his chin on Sasuke’s shoulder. “If you’d like, there’s still time to throw something into the wash?”

Sasuke clicked his teeth, but leaned into the embrace. “I’m not going to walk around your house naked. Boruto’s here.”

“Actually, he left with Ino. He often stays with her and Sai or his grandparents when I’m out at night.”

Sasuke thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head. “Okay.”

“I’ll grab it. Tell me what you need,” Naruto said with a kiss to Sasuke’s shoulder before he moved around him.

“I can do it.”

“You’re clean. I’m already dirty. I got it,” Naruto said, waving Sasuke off.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at that. “You just got out of the shower too.”

“Some dirt doesn’t wash off no matter how hard you scrub,” Naruto said with a smirk and opened the first suitcase. It contained toiletries and Sasuke’s casual clothes. The second suitcase had business clothes and the third surprised both of them, Ino had packed Suke’s things—including, to Sasuke’s mortification, the few pieces of women’s lingerie Suke owned.

Naruto quirked a brow and lifted a pair of black, lace boy-cut panties. He looked at them for a moment, his cock instantly hard inside his loose sweatpants, and then looked to Sasuke. The black haired man was busy studying the wall, his porcelain skin flush with embarrassment. Naruto grinned and added the panties to the pile of business clothes to wash, then headed downstairs.

“Wait, Naruto!” Sasuke called, following after him. “What’re you doing?”

“Putting this in the wash, obviously,” Naruto said, reaching the bottom of the stairs and then heading toward the back of the house where the utility/mud room was.

“But the, uh…” Sasuke blushed harder, unable to continue.

Naruto threw the clothes in the washing machine and then turned to Sasuke with a foxlike grin. “Considering how fucking hot your cock looked in nylons, I’m sure you’d be sexy as fuck in panties. And lace ones? Jesus Christ, Sas, you sure know how to tease a man.”

“Th-that’s Suke,” Sasuke stuttered, frozen in the doorway.

“Is there a difference?” Naruto asked, grabbing an unlabeled bottle.

“What are you doing!?” Sasuke snapped, grabbing Naruto’s wrist before he was able to pour any of the contents into the washer.

“Adding detergent?” he said cautiously. Sasuke looked about ready to kill him. He straightened the bottle and offered it to Sasuke. “Ino makes it.”

“Ino makes laundry detergent?” Sasuke said questioningly as he sniffed the bottle. “Lavender?”

Naruto nodded. “Her family owns a greenhouse. She makes things like soaps and perfumes with natural ingredients. Its safe to use on delicates.”

“But why lavender?”

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Boruto used to have, um, issues when he was little—anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, stuff like that. Shikamaru’s a psychologist, but there’s only so much you can communicate with a three year old, and I didn’t want to medicate him. Ino suggested using lavender baths and such, said it was a calming scent.” He shrugged.

Sasuke frowned and let go of the bottle. He watched as Naruto poured some into the machine and started it up. The washer clicked and then began flooding with water. Naruto watched it. His body was tense and Sasuke felt that wall rebuilding between them. Stepping forward, Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s waistband and gave it a little tug.

“Be honest,” he whispered, resting his forehead on Naruto’s shoulder. “Still here?”

Naruto was quiet for a moment and they listened to the water sloshing in the washing machine. The soft scent of lavender filled the room as Sasuke ran his bandaged fingers across Naruto’s stomach, feather soft, back and forth.

Sighing deeply, Naruto said, “I want to be.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Naruto moved his hand over Sasuke’s, stopping its soothing path and intertwining their fingers. “I don’t want to overburden you. You’ve enough on your plate right now.”

Sasuke raised his head so that his chin rested on Naruto’s shoulder. “You’re helping me hold my plate, let me help hold yours too.”

Turning his head, Naruto looked into those deep, dark eyes. They were steady, calm. Naruto lowered his eyes and rested his forehead against Sasuke’s.

“I was married once,” he started quietly. “It was arranged. We were very young, too young to fully understand what we were doing. But I was scared. I was an eighteen-year-old mafia boss and I was gay. It’s not a good combination—even now it’s risky, but I’m stronger now, I have more securing my position besides birthright.

‘But the marriage was doomed before it even started. She was so nice, kind, gentle. I couldn’t love her like I should have; I couldn’t give her what she needed. When Boruto was three, something in her brain snapped, and she… she…” Naruto gave Sasuke’s hand a squeeze as he forced himself to continue. “She tried to drown my son—she did drown him. He… he…”

Wordlessly, Sasuke turned Naruto and hugged him. Naruto shook in his arms, trembling violently. Naruto did not cry as he held on tightly, as if he would fall apart if he let go of Sasuke. His grip hurt and Sasuke was certain he’d bleed through his bandages, but he didn’t care. Naruto and Boruto may not have been sold off like he had, but they had been betrayed by their family. He understood their pain in a way others couldn’t. He knew that there was nothing he could say to ease the pain, so he just stood there and held Naruto, supporting the man as he felt it.

Naruto suddenly pulled from Sasuke. He ran a hand through his hair, turning from Sasuke, and Sasuke could see Naruto closing himself up again, not allowing himself to feel it. Sasuke needed to pull Naruto back, to keep him open, keep him here, but he didn’t have the right words. So, he did the only thing he knew how, and dropped to his knees. Yanking Naruto back around, he ripped down the man’s sweatpants and swallowed him whole.

“S-sas’ke!” Naruto moaned in surprise. He looked down at Sasuke, who devoured him so desperately, so pleadingly. Sasuke’s bandaged fingers dug into his hips as that talented tongue coaxed his cock to life, calling him back from his darkened thoughts. He smiled sadly down at his sweet, bandaged Sasuke, and ran a hand through that long, silky hair.

“So good, baby,” he moaned. “So good.”

Sasuke snapped his hips forward and he reached deeper into that hot mouth. Taking the hint, Naruto slowly pulled his hips back and then sharply thrust forward, fucking Sasuke’s mouth, again and again.

“I’m here, baby,” he groaned. He was so close. “Still here, baby.”

One of Sasuke’s hands left his hips and then Naruto felt a pressure against his asshole. He saw white. Bucking savagely into Sasuke’s mouth, Naruto released a guttural roar and came. That hot, wet mouth greedily swallowed him all, milking every last drop. Naruto fell to his knees, his hands still in Sasuke’s hair, and he yanked the man forward, kissing him. He could taste himself on Sasuke’s tongue and it only urged him to kiss more deeply.

Sasuke pushed Naruto to lie on the cold, tile floor and straddled his hips. He was achingly hard, but he did nothing to relieve the pressure. He could feel Naruto’s heart pounding against his chest and took comfort in the sensation. Gradually, the kiss slowed to something softer and more lingering.

“Still here?” Sasuke whispered, finally pulling from the kiss.

Naruto looked up into those dark, achingly lonely eyes, surrounded by endlessly pale skin and framed by straight, black hair. This was the man who accepted him, despite his faults, despite the blood on his hands. Sasuke. _His Sasuke_. And Naruto loved him. Reaching up, Naruto tucked some of Sasuke’s hair behind his ear. “Still here,” he said and then sat up, forcing Sasuke to do the same. He leaned forward and kissed the bandage above Sasuke’s heart. “Right here.”

A soft, bashful smile spread across Sasuke’s lips. “Me too.”


	27. Black Laced Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter for this story thus far. Enjoy.

Sasuke walked coolly into the lobby, looking calm and collected, flanked by his two bodyguards, Jūgo and Suigetsu, and his secretary, Karin, following behind. He was dressed immaculately in a perfectly tailored navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and black silk gloves. But beneath the façade and the hidden bandages, cool titanium pressed against his upper arm, constantly reminding him that he wasn’t alone, and soft, black lace enclosed his hips and genitals.

He had never before worn something of Suke’s under his business attire, and as he entered the elevator, he found the feeling of the material against his skin intoxicatingly thrilling. He was filled with a sexy confidence he didn’t normally have when facing off with his parents. It was as if Suke’s daring behaviour was bleeding into Sasuke, fueling his every step.

And he had Naruto to thank for that.

The blonde had insisted upon it, saying that it’d give them something to look forward to at the end of the night. Sasuke had blushed, but begrudgingly put them on after closing the bathroom door in Naruto’s face. He hadn’t worn this pair before; Suke’s ensemble only recently began exploring in that direction. In fact, the first time he had worn nylons without boxer-briefs underneath had been the other night. Before it had always been a man under Suke’s disguise. Now, as he began to long for freedom, it felt like Suke was disguised as Sasuke Uchiha. It wasn’t that he wanted to be a woman, specifically, he just wanted to be Suke.

The elevator dinged and Sasuke and company entered a small corridor that held two doors: a grand one that lead to the Uchiha penthouse and a nearly invisible one that was for security and the Uchihas’ fulltime servants. An impeccable butler bowed to Sasuke and opened the penthouse door for him. Sasuke ignored the man, as an Uchiha ought to, and entered the immaculate penthouse, designed and decorated by only the finest in sleek modernism.

Waving his bodyguards off, Sasuke entered the sitting room where he knew he’d find his mother drinking her afternoon tea. As expected, he had arrived early, but his mother was already finely dressed in an evening gown of dark maroon, her thick, black hair elegantly pinned up, as it always was. She sat in her favourite chair near the faux fireplace, where she looked the best—her words, not his—sipping her tea. Itachi sat across from her.

Ignoring his brother, Sasuke went to his mother and bowed respectively, “Happy birthday, mother.”

“Sasuke, dear!” his mother said brightly, though he knew the tone was fake. “We’ve been so worried about you! Itachi said you never went back to your apartment last night.”

Sasuke put on a soft, calm smile, though he felt anything but. The confidence he had felt in the elevator waving as the coil wiggled in the pit of his stomach, but this time it wasn’t just in anxiety, it was also mixed with a burning rage.

“Did he, now?” Sasuke said neutrally. “That’s interesting, because I did go home last night. But after discovering that the FBI bugged my apartment, I decided to go stay at a friend’s instead.” He turned to his brother. “I wonder why Itachi would feel the need to lie like that.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you were misinformed?” Itachi supplied as he sipped his own tea.

“That must be it! Itachi would never do something like that,” their mother declared, falling back into her natural habit of favoring her first born. “Right, Sasuke?”

“Of course, mother,” Sasuke agreed, verbally, at least. There was no point in trying to convince her otherwise. The same would likely be true of father. A feeling of hopelessness settled in him at how quickly his parents had tossed him aside with the return of the prodigal son.

“I see you brought your own security,” Itachi said. “Something wrong with the family’s men?”

“You tell me,” Sasuke said cryptically. “I’m going to give father my greetings before the guests arrive.”

Without waiting for permission, Sasuke turned on his heel and left the sitting room. However, he did not go to his father’s study. Instead he went to the one room no Uchiha would be caught dead in. The kitchen was state-of-the-art everything. It was currently abuzz with staff preparing for the party, which was to start in less than an hour, and held the only friendly face among the Uchiha household.

The old Cook was on the verge of retirement, but Sasuke was thankful she had made the move with the Uchihas to Konoha City. The woman didn’t say much, but she never seemed to mind the youngest Uchiha slipping into her kitchen when the others were just too much.

Sasuke found an unoccupied nook near the sinks and took a seat. Not long after, the old Cook brought him over a can of ginger ale, a sleeve of saltine crackers, and a sanitary wipe. Everything was unopened. Taking the items, he gave her a small smile and then she went back to work. He watched her and the rest of the kitchen for a moment, before wiping down the items and then began eating.

Some may claim that he was hiding, but Sasuke Uchiha was not hiding. He was biding his time until things were more in his favour. Once people not employed by the Uchihas were around he’d have more ground to stand on. His parents would keep up appearances. As long as Sasuke was in charge of half of the company, they wouldn’t say anything in front of others that could make him look bad—that would make the Uchihas look bad, and they couldn’t have that.

Sasuke smirked around a cracker as the lace panties moved against his skin as he crossed his legs. What would his parents say if they knew what he wore? Sasuke Uchiha, a spectacular specimen of masculinity in the eyes of society, was currently wearing women’s lingerie. He was suddenly feeling spectacularly deviant.

“Care to share?” Karin said as she came to lean against the counter near him.

Sasuke munched his salty cracker. “No.”

She smiled at him. “That look looks good on you, boss.”

“Find anything?” Sasuke asked, quirking a thin brow.

Karin shook her head. She had done a quick scan to see if the FBI had bugged the penthouse too. Sasuke took a deep breath and then offered her the sanitary wipe before allowing her to take a cracker. They sat quietly in the bustling kitchen and waited for the party to start. After a few minutes they each pulled out their phones and started going through emails and other business matters—though, Sasuke suspected Karin was also playing a mobile game.

As the first of the guests began to arrive, Sasuke got an email from NamiCorp. With the building permits still in suspension, he didn’t know what other official business he could have with them. Nibbling on a saltine, he opened the email and then choked.

“Breath or eat, pick one,” Karin said, handing Sasuke his soda.

Coughing to clear his throat, Sasuke took a sip of ginger ale and reread the email. It was from Naruto’s grandfather, Jiraiya. Apparently, he was looking for someone to take over NamiCorp International, with the goal of expanding their world wide presence, and wanted to know if Sasuke was interested. Jiraiya also assured Sasuke that he was making this offer off of Sasuke’s merit alone, and that Sasuke’s skills and credentials had impressed him when they travelled together.

Sasuke closed his email app and locked his phone, leaving the email unanswered. He had never thought of leaving the company. He was an Uchiha and Uchiha worked at Uchiha Financial. His fingers brushed against the metal band under his shirt. But he was also an Uzumaki—for now at least. He needed to talk to Naruto about this, about the legality of the job—he didn’t want to work for the Kyūbi despite fucking him—and he needed a clearer picture of where they stood. If this was all just temporary…

The coil quivered in his stomach and his hand tightened around his empty can. So many things had changed in his life since moving to Konoha—Itachi’s return, Orochimaru’s, his relationship with Temari, with Naruto—and after last night, after finally admitting that he’s not all right, Sasuke wasn’t sure he had the mental space for this. The coil slowly began worming its way upward. Sasuke closed his eyes. He needed to find some metaphorical flat surface to plant his feet and recollect.

“You should probably head out there,” Karin said quietly. She was trying to give her boss some space, lord knew that he needed it, but it was also her job to keep him on task. “You want me to come with you?”

Sasuke opened his eyes and shook his head. “Go mingle, see what you can pick up.”

“Okay,” she said and then gentle took the can from his hand without touching him and disposed of it along with the empty saltine cracker’s sleeve. She then left the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke followed after her a few minutes later. A number of guests had arrived by now, filling the penthouse and making it more difficult to move around without brushing up against anyone. The mass of bodies made it harder for Sasuke to breathe. As he politely greeted and spoke to business acquaintances and politicians, moving about the penthouse as he went, Sasuke couldn’t help but wonder how clean each person was. A speck of dust or stray hair on someone’s suit made the coil shutter. Whenever someone absentmindedly touched their nose or lips or eyes, Sasuke felt his skin crawl.

By the time he heard the gossiping whispers going through the crowd he was already on edge. _Did you hear?_ someone said. _A filthy faggot_ another murmured. _Whore. Slut. Disgusting._ Sasuke felt his blood run cold. The coil jumped up his throat, wrapping around his tongue. His skin itched, the crawling sensation more like tiny pinpricks on his already injured skin.

“Your father’s a good man, Uchiha,” a balding man said to Sasuke, patting his shoulder. Sawamura. Sasuke had done several large international deals with him.

The touch sent a sharp pain radiating through Sasuke and it took all his might not to cry out. He tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. “Oh?” was all he could manage.

Sawamura nodded. “He did right by firing that _homosexual_ without reference. The nerve of someone like that attempting to work-”

“What does someone’s sexual orientation have to do with anything other than who they love?” a deep rumble sounded from Sasuke’s left, and Sasuke had to fight the urge to burry his face in Naruto’s broad chest and hang on for dear life.

“M-Mr. Uzumaki!” Sawamura stuttered, his eyes widening in shock and dismay.

“Since when are Konoha’s citizens homophobic pigs?” Naruto continued steadily, his voice unheated, but sharp. It was a lifeline to Sasuke’s ears. “Mr. Namikaze wouldn’t be pleased to hear of that.”

“I didn’t- I mean…”

“You’re reaching retirement age, aren’t you Mr. Sawamura?” Naruto asked. He was keeping a close watching on Sasuke in his peripheral. Naruto had only arrived maybe a half hour ago, but the entire time he had been watching Sasuke mingle. No one else seemed to notice it, but Naruto could tell. The signs were subtle: the pitch of his thin, black eyebrows; his gloved fingers occasionally brushing against his stomach; the tension in his angular jaw. Sasuke was highly uncomfortable, and that uncomfortably had suddenly skyrocketed with Sawamura’s arrival.

Sasuke watched Sawamura’s pebble sized eyes widen and his face grow pale. “Um, y-yes, Mr. Uzumaki, I am.”

“That’s good to hear,” Naruto said pleasantly. Sasuke felt a soft pressure against his side as Naruto’s arm brushed against him, pressing the band into him. Suddenly Sasuke could breathe again. Turning to Sasuke, Naruto said, “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Uchiha.”

Affectively dismissed, the balding Sawamura made his leave to recover elsewhere.

Sasuke had to force himself not to smile as he turned toward Naruto. The blonde looked incredibly attractive in a fitted, all-black suit. No one could argue that his mere presence had command of the room. Sasuke couldn’t help but look the man up and down. Then he lost the fight.

“Sneakers, really?” Sasuke smiled.

Naruto shrugged, his eyes lingering on Sasuke’s lips. “Loafers are uncomfortable.”

Sasuke looked away to keep himself from blushing as his lace panties became a bit more snug. “And don’t act like you didn’t see me this morning.”

“When I’ve been stuck listening to this asinine dribble, can you blame me?”

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke asked, “Would you care for something to drink?”

“Got anything harder than this piss water?” Naruto asked, gesturing with his empty champagne glass.

“That would be in my father’s study.”

“Chances of it being occupied?” Naruto asked, setting his empty glass on a passing servant’s tray.

Sasuke looked around, spotting his father near the windows, drink in hand. He appeared to be in deep conversation with a number of older gentlemen. His brother, on the other hand, was still beside mother in the sitting room. Itachi’s watchful gaze was on him, but he appeared unable to leave as mother began introducing Itachi to some woman—likely an heiress or daughter of an important business partner or politician. He would be occupied for a while.

“This way,” Sasuke said, turning on his heel and leading Naruto through the crush of people.

It ended up being easier than Sasuke had thought to make it to the study. Any time someone turned to speak to him, they spotted the blonde behind him and seemed to move out of the way. It was a heady feeling as he was struck by just how powerful the Namikaze name really was. People, regardless of how arrogant or powerful they were in their own right, respected and feared Naruto merely because of his association to the infamous Mr. Namikaze. Entering the study, which was lined with leather bound books purchased more for looks than for reading, Sasuke wondered if he would receive the same treatment if he too was associated with Namikaze.

Naruto watched Sasuke. The lean man was riddled with tension, despite his seemingly relaxed posture, as he walked over to a small bar in the corner and poured a glass of bourbon. The party hadn’t started that long ago and would probably last another two or three hours at the very least. Naruto would love nothing more than to just take Sasuke’s hand and get the fuck out of here, but he knew that wasn’t plausible. He had to think of a way to calm Sasuke, to bring out the man’s natural confidence, so that he could make it through tonight.

Naruto thought back on the other night, at the club. Suke Uzumaki had been sexy and cocksure, untouchable and beautiful. As Suke, Sasuke knew exactly what he wanted and took it, and to hell with what anyone else thought. After seeing how Sasuke reacted to that phone call with his father and the utter relief that filled the man when he realized Naruto would be here too, Naruto wanted to give that confidence to Sasuke, to bring out that other self, which was why he suggested the lacy boy shorts, to remind him of who he really was. But it appeared Sasuke needed another push.

The study door closed softly. “Still here?”

Sasuke looked over his shoulder. Naruto leaned against the door, large and protective, but not overpowering. His eyes were dark and hungry, but also calm, steady, thoughtful. And Sasuke was filled with the knowledge that Naruto would be at his side in an instant, that he would likely kill for Sasuke if need be, but he also didn’t think Sasuke was weak, he would give Sasuke space.

“I’m here,” Sasuke said quietly and handed Naruto the drink.

He downed it in one go. “Good, because I wanted to rip that asshole’s throat out.”

“And here I thought you were calm,” Sasuke smirked.

“He made you uncomfortable,” Naruto said simply.

Sasuke shrugged. Sawamura was pretty mild in terms of things that disquieted the coil. It was more of the topic than the man. Sasuke had been raised by the Uchiha belief that homosexuality was repugnant and wrong. Ironic, all things considering.

“Did you wear them?” Naruto asked randomly, lowering the empty glass to hold at his side.

In an instant the tension between them was thick. Sasuke could feel the heat coming off of Naruto and hear the murmur of people just outside the door. Yet all he could comprehend was those Mediterranean blue eyes on him. They slid, unhurriedly, down Sasuke’s body, lingering on his waistband, and then flicked back up to meet his own eyes. Something inside of Sasuke purred at the warmth in those eyes—the need, the want, the challenge, the acceptance. And suddenly he didn’t feel like Sasuke Uchiha, puppet, second son, homosexual fuckup, and CEO. In this man’s eyes he was none of those things.

Instead of answering verbally, Sasuke undid his belt and zipper, showing Naruto just the slightest the hint of black lace over pale skin hidden beneath his trousers. Naruto’s eyes blew wide and he made a pained, strangled sound. It filled Sasuke with a sense of power. With a mere piece of fabric, he could reduce the mighty Kyūbi to a base beast. He licked his lips. He wanted more of that power.

Grabbing Naruto’s broad shoulder, Sasuke leaned forward and allowed his hot breath to brush against Naruto’s lobe as he whispered, “Don’t you dare break that glass.”

He nipped Naruto’s ear, earning himself a moan, and ran his hand down the tight muscles of that well-sculpted chest. He heard the lock click into place as he unfastened Naruto’s belt.

“Careful, babe, or I’ll bend you over your father’s desk,” Naruto’s heated voice purred in his ear. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To walk around with all those people and my cum in your tight ass?”

Sasuke moaned at the thought, his cock springing to life.

“Do you think they’ll know?” Naruto continued to whisper hotly, moving to nibble on Sasuke’s bottom lip. “That you’re filled to the brim? That you own me? That you’re my queen?”

Sasuke cocked a brow. “Your queen?”

“Yes. My queen,” Naruto murmured, brushing a lingering kiss against Sasuke’s lips. “Who’s so strong.” He kissed Sasuke more purposefully. “Sexy.” Another kiss. “Smart.” A light nibble. “Those fucks can’t touch you.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but mentally preen at Naruto’s words. They filled him, empowered him. As a man, he shouldn’t be referred to as a queen, but on Naruto’s tongue he liked it. The title curled around him, seductive and captivating.

Naruto slipped his hands into Sasuke’s waistband, his fingers curling around that pale, gorgeous ass that was just barely covered by black lace. Sasuke’s eyes fluttered closed and his head tilted back as he moaned. Grinding their groins together, Naruto’s kisses worked their way down Sasuke’s jaw and neck as he continued to speak.

“You feel those hands on your tight ass?” he asked. “You know what those hands are capable of? What I’m capable of?” He gave Sasuke’s ass another squeeze. “There’s blood on these hands and they hunger for you.” Sasuke shivered against him. “Look at me.”

The command was sharp and Sasuke’s eyes snapped open. Blown black meeting hard blue.

“I am yours,” Naruto declared. “Yours to take, to command, to wield. And only my queen is powerful enough to control me.”

Sasuke stared into those eyes and he didn’t know what to think, his mind was a swirling blank. He didn’t feel like Sasuke Uchiha in that moment, but he wasn’t Suke Uzumaki either. He was something else, someone else. He looked into those eyes and the person reflected back was strong and beautiful, they were neither male nor female, defying gender and expectations.

Reaching up, Sasuke applied a firm pressure to Naruto’s broad shoulder. “Get on your knees,” he purred.

Itachi froze on his way to the bathroom. He had finally managed to escape from that overly touchy heiress with an excuse that he needed to use the facilities, and then made a show of going as he wondered where his brother and Uzumaki had wandered off too. As he passed his father’s closed study door, he heard a deep, guttural moan. He had been suspicious of their relationship, had thought that it wasn’t a normal platonic relationship. He hadn’t thought it’d be this.

_“Deeper, N-nar’to… ngk, h-harder…”_

Itachi flushed crimson and looked around. Though he could still hear the dim of conversation in the living room, the hallway he was currently in was empty. A throat cleared and Itachi spun around. Temari raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Looking for my brother?” he said quickly. “I think he went-”

“Don’t even, Itachi,” Temari snapped. Her eyes flickered toward the study door and then hardened on him. “Leave him alone.”

Itachi frowned. “You… you know about, um…” His statement was punctuated by a muffled pleasure scream and Itachi blushed more if possible.

“That I’m a glorified beard? Yeah, got a problem with it?” Itachi opened his mouth to reply, to defend himself, but Temari didn’t give him a chance. “No? Good. Now, fuck off before I make a scene that you won’t like.”

He stepped closer. He needed to calm Temari down, to get her to understand. “Temari, the man he’s with-”

“Is what he needs,” she interrupted and then sighed. “Look, I don’t know why you broke into his place, but I saw what it did to him. He’s sick, he has been for a long ass time, and last night he admitted it. I don’t think he would have done that if it wasn’t for the man in that room. So, please, if you care at all for your brother, back the fuck off.”

“How long?” Itachi whispered brokenly. “How long has he been sick?”

Temari bit her bottom lip and dropped her arms. “Sixteen years. Shortly after you left, Sasuke started disappearing over the weekends. Your parents would always make up some kind of excuse. That’s…” She took a deep breath. “That’s when he started changing. I didn’t understand the signs then, but I did a lot of thinking last night and I, um, talked a lot with a psychologist. I think I know what happened.”

“What happened?” Itachi asked, terrified of the answer.

“He got quiet, washed his hands a lot, distanced himself from others, started wearing more clothes, longer sleeves. Then he started eating less, started avoiding human contact. The hand washing became longer, more often, more methodical, and then the gloves showed up.” Temari’s eyes met his. “Itachi, why’d you leave?”

Itachi swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He was FBI, he had been trained in a lot of things, he was good at profiling both the suspects, but also the victims, in finding out what people weren’t able to tell him. He had seen the germaphobia, that was glaringly obvious, but he hadn’t… He never imagined that his tiny, adorable brother could’ve been…

Then he thought of the symbol, the one that had been on the cup Sasuke gave him. It was always found on bodies of people who had gone missing as children, roughly between the ages of seven to ten. None of the victims had been older than thirty. Sasuke had been ten when Itachi was forced to leave. He was twenty-six now, nearly twenty-seven.

Itachi’s eyes widened and his head snapped up to look at his father, who stood near the windows in the living room, surrounded by several powerful politicians. No… He knew his father was a bastard, but the Uchihas were a prideful family and they hated homosexuality. He wouldn’t have…

Naruto licked the cum from Sasuke’s stomach as his queen took a bit longer to gather his bearings as he lay on top of the mahogany desk. It was a bitter taste, but he like the feeling of it coating his throat, of the knowledge that something of Sasuke’s was inside of him. It made him curious about what sex would be like if Sasuke topped, but he wasn’t sure if he could allow himself to be in such a vulnerable position.

Slipping the lace panties back up, Naruto lovingly massaged Sasuke’s hips. Even terribly thin and bandaged, the man was truly beautiful. The lace sat flush against porcelain skin, following the subtle curve of Sasuke’s hip and outlining the girth of Sasuke’s gorgeous cock. If Naruto hadn’t just filled Sasuke’s ass, he’d be hard right now.

“If you make a habit of this, I might have to invest in a plug,” Sasuke said lazily as he sat up. “I’m going to soak through, aren’t I?”

Naruto gave him a slow, languid kiss. “Would you like me to clean you up, my queen?”

“Your queen,” Sasuke murmured and softly smiled, a blush filling out his cheeks, and he looked down as he started rebuttoning his shirt.

“Don’t like it?” Naruto asked gently, tilting Sasuke’s head back up to get a better read on the man, and he gasped when he did. Sasuke’s eyes were filled with mirth and warmth and life. It was a sight that squeezed his heart and filled Naruto with so much love.

Brushing his lips against Naruto’s, Sasuke said confidently, “I’ll allow it.”

Naruto grinned. “I’m glad.”

They finished dressing in silence, both a little lost in their own musings. Sasuke could feel the damp, stickiness between his cheeks as he moved, but when he ran his hand briefly across his backside it didn’t feel wet. Hopefully it would stay that way. He liked the feeling of Naruto sloshing about inside of him, the unmistakable proof that the man was his, that out of everyone, Naruto had chosen him—broken, defiled, mentally ill Sasuke.

He didn’t attach Uchiha to it. He was feeling oddly detached from the name as he fixed his tie. He didn’t necessarily feel like an Uzumaki either, but he certainly wasn’t an Uchiha. The thought was lightening, like something heavy and oppressive had been lifted from his mind.

“You ready?” Naruto asked, picking up the unbroken bourbon glass off the floor and handing it to Sasuke. 

Sasuke took the glass and smirked, setting it down on his father’s messy desk. With a deviant wink, he led Naruto from the room. Unlocking the door, he threw it open and came face-to-face with his brother and Temari.

“If I had known you were into voyeurism, I would have left the door unlocked,” Sasuke said coolly and then walked back to the party.

Naruto couldn’t help the shit-eater grin that spread across his face as he watched that cocky, sexy ass walk away. There was his queen, his Sasuke. The three stood there and watched Sasuke effortlessly merge back into the conversation with several businessmen, and this time instead of merely surviving it, he was commanding the situation. Temari’s eyes filled with tears as she watched, glimpsing for the first time the man Sasuke should have been all along.

Itachi turned his gaze to the blonde still standing between Temari and himself. Naruto Uzumaki. Despite the individual warning him off last night, Itachi still suspected that Uzumaki and NamiCorp were somehow tied to the Kyūbi Mafia. When he originally came to Konoha City, Itachi had thought Namikaze was the Kyūbi, but now he was beginning to wonder if Namikaze didn’t exist at all and that the Kyūbi was in fact one of the men supposedly closest to the CEO, or perhaps multiple people.

However, now he was torn between going after the Kyūbi or—if the man was truly trying to protect Sasuke—allowing him to escape this time in order to go after someone else. If he did, it would be a personal vendetta, he knew it would. He shouldn’t use his job to clean up his own mess, but if Sasuke had been hurt because he left…

“Do I have cum on my face or something?” Uzumaki asked, running his middle finger along the side of his mouth, as if to wipe something away.

Itachi’s eyes narrowed. “No, excuse me.”

Naruto watched the agent vacate the corridor and then head for the front door. Apparently Itachi was leaving. He looked over to Sasuke’s childhood friend, there were tears in her eyes. He gave her a friendly nod and then hurried back to the party. Naruto Uzumaki was not afraid of many things, but he couldn’t say that a crying woman was one of those things.

As the night continued, Sasuke had made several possible business deals. Karin was now at his side, collecting contact information and the like when need be, and Naruto was never too far, but always close enough that if Sasuke needed a minute to breathe he’d be there. He hadn’t seen much of Temari. After the brief conversation in the corridor she, like Itachi, seemed to have vanished from the party.

He was actually incredibly thankful for that. After last night he really didn’t want to play nice with Itachi in front of a room full of people. He wanted to take a little more time to settle and collect himself before facing off with the federal agent. As for Temari—he had technically cheated on her and they both knew it. They needed to talk, he owed her that much, but his mother’s party was not the time and place for discussing his betrothal.

Apparently, his father didn’t get the memo.

“Where’s your lovely fiancée, Sasuke?” his father asked, coming to stand beside him—a surprise in and of itself, that Fugaku Uchiha _came to him_ , which would have registered in Sasuke’s brain if he could register anything at all. At his father’s words he became incredibly aware that Naruto was within earshot and that he hadn’t yet mentioned his arranged marriage. The coil shot into his throat. Would Naruto leave him? He couldn’t breathe. Black spots appeared in his incomprehensible vision. No! He needed Naruto! His skin crawled painfully and his ears rang unhearingly. Naruto couldn’t leave him! He couldn’t!

A vice wrapped around Sasuke’s bicep, digging the metal band into his skin. _Still here_. Sasuke blinked. He forced oxygen into his lungs, fighting the coil, fighting to _stay here_.

“Unhand him!”

Naruto glared at the old man, the black hair and set of his black eyes obviously declaring him an Uchiha. He didn’t have time for this, he had to get Sasuke out of here. He had heard what the man had said, Sasuke was engaged. Jealousy and rage filled him, but one look at Sasuke had put all of that on hold. There was a crazed look in Sasuke’s eyes, he was on the brink of another panic attack—one as bad as the one last night or possibly worse—and Naruto was suddenly afraid that if Sasuke broke now he wouldn’t ever get the man back.

“Who the fuck are you?” Naruto growled.

The man had the balls to not flinch. “Of all the insolent-” the man spat, highly offended. “I am Fugaku Uchiha.”

“Ah, the fucktard who refuses to pay his respect to Namikaze,” Naruto said with just the right amount of bite. 

That gathered everyone’s attention if they weren’t already watching. Naruto clicked his teeth dismissively and once again began leading Sasuke from the party. Jūgo and Suigetsu effortlessly appearing before him and parting the crowd.

Clearing his throat, Fugaku followed, obviously sensing his loosing favour with his guests. “That’s not true! My dear Sasuke went to extend my respects months ago.”

Naruto didn’t even stop, ushering Sasuke, his bodyguards, and his secretary into the elevator. “Yes, Namikaze is quite fond of Sasuke Uchiha.” Sasuke’s head snapped up at that. Naruto turned to glare at the old Uchiha. “As for you, well, let’s just say the only reason you haven’t gone bankrupt is because I’m quite fond of him as well.”

As the elevator doors began closed, Naruto wrapped his arm around Sasuke, his hand possessively on the man’s hip, allowing Fugaku Uchiha to understand just who Sasuke belonged too.

Sasuke stared at those hard blue eyes glaring deadly daggers at his father. He was barely breathing as they stood in the elevator, his body felt so weak and shaky, and he could hardly hold himself up. But he had heard Naruto’s words. His mind screamed, _look at me! Tell me I’m still your queen!_ He felt that possessive hand clawing into his hip, gripping the fabric of his trousers, rubbing the black lace against his skin, and digging into his flesh. It pushed him forward. Reaching up, Sasuke turned Naruto’s head and Sasuke kissed him as the elevator doors closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I recently read a 'Yuri on Ice' fanfic where Yuri Katsuki wears lingerie, & then I thought of Sasuke in black lace boy shorts, looking utterly masculine and sexy as fuck in women's lingerie. I think I'm developing a slight fetish, & I'm not remotely ashamed. If you too are not ashamed, feel free to suggest types of things you'd like Sasuke to wear. There's a saying that "clothes make the woman" & that's kind of where I'm going with this. It's true, to a point, that when you look & feel sexy, it can give you a much needed little boost of confidence, & Sasuke desperately needs to feel comfortable in his own skin before he can fully combat the world around him. 
> 
> Sidenote: I realise this is the wrong fandom, but Yuri on Ice is one of the sexiest fucking anime ever. If you haven't seen it, give it a go. The husband was gone for a night so I rewatched the whole series. THE FEELS. I, uh, then proceeded to write this chapter, so, yeah. I don't get the connection either, but there you have it.


	28. Meet Me At The Bottom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm an idiot & missed posting a chapter. >_< Sorry! If you haven't read chapter 23. Tungsten, then you might want to go back & read it, it's rather short but important! This is what happens when I'm a silly author & attempt balancing multiple stories at once (I'm currently working on four different stories). I will be more careful in the future!

The elevator lurched slightly as it began its decent and Naruto tore from the kiss. He kept Sasuke tucked into his side, but he didn’t look at the other. Naruto’s eyes were cold and guarded as he stared straight ahead.

It was over. 

Sasuke frowned and slumped his head against Naruto’s shoulder. His mind screamed with desperate pleas, but he just didn’t have the strength to voice them. He didn’t have the strength to do anything. The crawling sensation tore at his skin, spreading over every inch of him, yet he did nothing about it, surrendering to the pain. The coil strangled his throat, making his breathing nothing more than a weak wheeze, but he didn’t fight it.

As the elevator doors opened, Naruto led Sasuke through the lobby and into his awaiting car. He hardly noticed when Karin excused herself to find her own way home. His mind was too wrapped up in his own thoughts, though he still kept an eye on Sasuke’s condition. It was as if the fight had left Sasuke and his breathing was shallow, but there, and Naruto couldn’t find any words to say.

Betrayed.

That was what he felt—betrayed. He had never felt so utterly betrayed before and now he too was on that brink, teetering on the edge of a fall he would never survive. And he hadn’t even had a choice in the matter. There was no choice when it came to Sasuke. Sasuke was just it for him. There was no one else. Yet, that wasn’t the case for Sasuke.

Sasuke Uchiha was engaged _to a woman_. He belonged to someone else, someone who could give him a home, a family, a future. Naruto could give none of that. Naruto was a man, he couldn’t give Sasuke children. He couldn’t give Sasuke a home filled with warmth and sunlight. Naruto was a man of blood and death and darkness, a king of the underworld. There was no future with Naruto.

And yet Sasuke had allowed him to hope. To hope that they could live within this inescapable world of his, to find a little spot that was all their own. Sasuke had allowed Naruto to hope that he was worthy of love, even though his hands were stained with blood, even though he was a black-hearted monster. But Naruto could not be loved and Sasuke belonged to another.

The drive back to NamiCorp was done in silence. Their security details knew better than to ask questions and the gap between Naruto and Sasuke made it impossible to talk, even though they were physically only a centimeter apart. When they arrived, Naruto led Sasuke inside. He tossed his suit jacket on the worn couch and loosened his tie.

Sasuke watched Naruto walk away as his feet slowed in the corridor. He stopped in the doorframe that had been broken by Naruto’s grip. Sasuke ran a gloved finger over the splintered wood. That had been so long ago and yet not all that long ago.

His hand shook. He was so afraid, but it was a different kind of fear than the one he had grown up with, the one that made his skin craw. There was a space between him and Naruto and he wasn’t sure he could bridge it. Yet he was afraid of what would become of him if he didn’t. Naruto was the only light in his life, the only hand that had ever reached out for his, without judgment, without expecting something of Sasuke in return. He needed Naruto like the air he breathed and the food he ate. He needed Naruto so badly it hurt. He… he…

“I love you,” the words fell from his lips, whispered and wet with tears.

Naruto’s fingers curled into fists so tight that his nails pierced his skin. “You don’t know me,” he growled out.

“I know you better than anyone and I’m still here!” Sasuke said more firmly, feeling the truth of those words fill him and give him strength to push against the coil.

“THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BETRAY ME?” Naruto roared. He picked up the coffee table and threw it across the room as he screamed in rage. He didn’t stop there. He tore through the living room, destroying everything within reach. Sasuke didn’t even flinch as he was hit with wooden shrapnel.

Moving forward, Sasuke stepped between Naruto and his destructive path. His head snapped to the side as Naruto punched him. He took it. Wrapping his arms around Naruto, Sasuke hugged him tightly. Naruto growled and tried to rip him off, but Sasuke held on tight. He knew that if he let go now he’d loose Naruto, he’d never get him back. It would truly be over.

Naruto struggled. He tried to rip the bastard off of him and they fell to the floor, rolling in broken wood and shattered glass. The splinters bit into their skin. Naruto punched and elbowed into Sasuke’s back and sides, but the man wouldn’t let go. Blood splattered across the floor, it soaked into Naruto’s clothes and stained his skin. Yet, Sasuke just clung to Naruto, shaking and desperate and spewing tears that dampened Naruto’s skin.

The scene was brutal, filled with pain and tears and blood and love. A torn apart room mirroring a pair of shredded hearts. Screams of rage echoed with cries of hurt. Gradually, Naruto’s anger waned, his fists tired out, and he just laid there under Sasuke’s heavy tears and crushing sobs.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Sasuke said brokenly, repeating it over and over again, through gasping breaths and thick, ugly tears.

Naruto had no idea how long they laid there, how long he stared unseeingly at that ceiling, unable to wrap his arms around Sasuke as he listened to the man’s ceaseless apology. Moonlight slowly crossed the room, reflecting off the shattered glass that covered the floor. Eventually Sasuke lost his voice and he ran out of tears. Shortly after that his body went slack as exhaustion overtook him.

Only then did Naruto move. He slipped out from under Sasuke before picking the other man up and carrying him upstairs. Methodically and lifelessly, he removed all the embedded glass and splinters from Sasuke, stripped him from his ruined clothing, and bathed him. His fingers lingered on the tungsten band on Sasuke’s arm. The band was a promise. It said that Naruto would always be there, that Naruto would protect Sasuke.

Could he still keep that promise? He ran his fingers along the smooth metal. Yes. With every fiber of his being, yes. His head collapsed on Sasuke’s shoulder and he finally, fully broke as silent tears ran down his cheeks.

Sasuke stirred at the feeling of the harsh, muted sob against his shoulder. He frowned and his eyes filled with tears. Leaning his head against Naruto’s, he laid in a tub tinged crimson and quietly comforted the man he loved more deeply than he ever thought possible, the man he had irrevocably hurt.

Silence swallowed them whole, a cocoon of their own creation, filled with sorrow and pain and all the words they couldn’t say. Sasuke turned in the water, his body screamed in protest. He was in so much pain, but it didn’t matter right now. Wrapping his arms around the only one who meant anything in his life, Sasuke voicelessly asked, “Still here?”

Naruto lifted his head at the feeling of breath on his skin. Blue met black and for the first time in his life, Naruto felt bare to someone’s eyes. Sasuke not only accepted him, but he _saw him_. He saw what Naruto was unable to say, unable to show. It was all reflected in the black abyss of Sasuke’s eyes, it was reflected with gentle warmth, with acceptance, with love.

Naruto laid his forehead against Sasuke’s and whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

Yellowed snake eyes watched the video feed as the elevator doors closed and the glass in his hand shattered. This was unacceptable. His Children did not betray him. This one had exceeded its usefulness.

“Kabuto?” he called and his favourite pet immediately released his hardened member.

“Yes, master?” Kabuto said as his tongue curled around master’s cock.

“Once you’ve finished, go to Konoha City and take care of Sasuke Uchiha,” Orochimaru said as he grabbed his pet by the back of the head and jammed that warm mouth back down. He grinned as his pet gagged and spasmed around him.

* * *

As night turned to dawn, they lay in each other’s arms, covered in bandages and wearing only their underwear, skin flush against skin. There was no sexual desire, no heated tension, just the soft murmur of honest words. With as much as his voice would allow, Sasuke told Naruto everything. He told Naruto about Temari, about how they had been betrothed practically since birth, about how he had felt so guilty for never being able to love her as more than a friend, a sister. He talked about his father, about his family’s utter disgust with homosexuality.

And he admitted how scared he was to admit all of this. Scared of hurting Temari. Scared of upsetting his parents, of being disowned, of loosing his job and the only vague stability he had ever known. But mostly how he was scared of loosing Naruto, of loosing the only person he had ever truly wanted.

At this Naruto raised Sasuke’s raw, chapped hand and gently kissed it. Their fingers intertwined, rough skin against rough skin. Their hands were so much like their relationship. There was nothing smooth about either of them, neither of them were untouched, undamaged. They were all rough skin and hard edges, and yet their touches could be just as gentle as they were harsh.

“I’m scared too,” Naruto admitted in a quiet murmur that hovered just between them. “I’m afraid of Boruto being trapped in my world when he’s meant for so much more. I’m scared of what happens when I love you back, of what they’ll do when they find out their boss is gay. I’m terrified of dragging you into a hole so deep and so dark you can’t find your way back.”

Sasuke gave his hand a squeeze and whispered, “Then we build Boruto a ladder and learn to see in the dark.”

Naruto raised his gaze to Sasuke’s. He felt on edge, like he was on the verge of falling, and all he needed was the courage to jump. Sasuke smiled softly, his eyes red from crying earlier, and his voice hoarse from crying. His skin was scared and permanently damaged, and there were likely things he would never mentally get over. Yet, to Naruto, he was so beautiful and so perfectly imperfect.

Naruto took a deep breath and then said, “I’ll meet you at the bottom.”


	29. A Child's Logic

Naruto awoke to the sound of soft buzzing as his phone vibrated on the side table. Rolling from Sasuke, he grabbed the phone and sat up, his feet hitting the cold rug. The sun had fully risen, but it was still early morning. Grunting into the phone, Naruto scrapped the sleep from his eyes.

“The Snakelet just landed in K-town,” Sai informed.

Naruto tensed, suddenly very much aware of the man behind him. Orochimaru was finally making his move. Hanging up, Naruto quickly slipped on jeans and a t-shirt. He was out the door in less than sixty seconds.

Sasuke awoke slowly. Sunlight covered the bed, warming his bandaged skin, but that was where the warmth ended. Opening his tired, bloodshot eyes, Sasuke stared at the empty space next to him. He ran his hand along the worn-soft fabric. It was cool to the touch. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke pushed himself up, the comforter pooling around his waist.

Naruto’s room was a mess—a cramped collection of single parenthood and not enough time in the day. His clothes were piled on top of the dresser, intermixed with knickknacks made by Boruto, the armoire doors were open, clothes falling off their hangers, and shoes were piled in the corner with no semblance of order. Sasuke’s eyes fell on his suitcases, thrown open and empty. Perhaps Naruto was downstairs doing laundry?

Wrapping himself in a sheet, Sasuke made his way downstairs, but it was not Naruto who he found cleaning up the wreckage of last night. Boruto had a pair of thick work gloves on as he carefully swept up the shattered glass and wood debris, emptying it into a nearby bucket. The sight made Sasuke frown. This wasn’t something a kid should be doing.

“Boruto,” he said softly, gaining the child’s attention. “Where are my clothes?”

Boruto’s face lit up as he smiled at Sasuke. “Good morning, Sasuke! I put them in the wash earlier. The first load should be just about done.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Dad says I’m weird, but I like doing laundry and cooking and stuff.” Boruto shrugged. “Dad won’t let me do much, but at least this way I can help take care of my family.”

Sasuke didn’t know what to say to that. Boruto was hard to pin down. He knew the kid was in his early teens, but some times the boy seemed so much older, whilst other times younger. He was innocent and naïve, yet also witty and surprisingly insightful. Luckily, Sasuke was saved from furthering the conversation with the soft trill of the dryer finishing its cycle.

“That’ll be your clothes!” Boruto said cheerfully as he gently set down his broom and dustpan, he removed his gloves and then made his way toward the utility room.

Sasuke tiptoed after him, careful not to step on anything with his bare feet. When he made it to the utility room, he froze at the sight of Boruto pulling Suke’s clothes from the dryer. The coil sprung to life in his gut and began a tango with his esophagus. As if washing women’s clothing for a man was nothing out of the ordinary, Boruto moved to a step stool and began hanging the clothes on a rack.

Upon seeing Sasuke, Boruto asked, “Do you need these ironed? They don’t seem wrinkled, but Auntie Ino says fancy clothes require ironing.”

Sasuke sprung forward and snatched a lacy bra from Boruto’s hand. His mouth opened and closed, his chest heaved for air, and his face felt like it was on fire. It was one thing for Naruto to know, but…

“It’s okay,” Boruto said calmly.

Sasuke’s eyes snapped to those big, innocent, blue eyes. He couldn’t see any judgment in Boruto’s expression, no disgust or revulsion. His eyes fell to the floor. But it was disgusting, it was revolting. Real men didn’t wear women’s clothing.

“Auntie Ino told me that the reason she wears makeup all the time was ‘cause it made her feel pretty, it made her feel good about herself,” Boruto said as he looked at the bra in Sasuke’s shaking hands. “She said that’s why people wear what they wear, and that there’s so many different styles because everyone is different. She said that what makes one person feel good about themselves is not the same as what makes someone else happy.

‘Personally, I don’t get why you’d want to wear a bra, seems uncomfortable to me, but I also don’t get why dad doesn’t wear underwear half the time, so…” Boruto shrugged. “Maybe it’s one of those things I’ll understand when I’m older?”

Sasuke stared at the kid. Boruto made everything seem so simple, and the way he said it—simply, calmly, as if he was stating the obvious—made Sasuke relax, the coil disappearing into the pit of his stomach as something else bubbled up, something foreign and light. Sasuke snorted, he smiled, and then he laughed. It was raspy sounding and felt strange in his throat, but then it spread throughout his chest, light and airy. Boruto laughed with him, warm and loud and filled with easy happiness.

Naruto sat in his office. The lights were off and the window cracked open as he smoked a cigarette. On the messy desk sat a blurry screenshot, taken from the video feed at the airport’s arrival’s gate. The bastard was grinning at the camera. Naruto took a long drag and sighed heavily. He knew what was expected of him. He knew what Orochimaru wanted. He knew that his own men were just downstairs waiting for the Order.

Naruto pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, snuffing out the light, and then pulled a burner phone out of his desk. He already had the phone number memorized and it only rang three times.

“Good morning, Special Agent,” he said. “I think it’s time we talked.”

Sasuke stood before the living room, a pair of Naruto’s jeans hanging loosely off his hips and the man’s sweater practically swallowing his thin frame, but beneath it all he wore Suke’s clothes—a simple pair of black panties and a bra. He wished the clothes fit better, he wasn't a fan of bagging clothes, but he didn’t own a lot of casual clothing and the disaster before him required sturdy materials.

The living room had been destroyed. None of the furniture had survived Naruto’s rage and several of the picture frames had met their end in the process. It was bad, but what made it worse was the blood. It wasn’t a lot of blood, but it was enough, and it certainly wasn’t something a child should have to see.

Boruto came up from behind to stand next to him and handed him a pair of work gloves. “You start on one side and I’ll meet you in the middle?”

“Don’t you have something else to do?” Sasuke asked, taking the gloves. “Like, homework or videogames or something?”

Boruto’s lips thinned unhappily. “You’re not gonna treat me like a little kid too, are you?”

“No, but you _are a kid_ ,” Sasuke said. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t, but I don’t mind.”

“Well, you should.” Sasuke slipped on the gloves. “You’ve a right to your childhood and grownups shouldn’t interfere with that.”

Boruto looked up at him. “But I’ve a right to grow up at my own pace too, right?”

Sasuke couldn’t help the small quark of his lips. Damn, the kid was good. “Fine, I’ll meet you in the middle, but I’m changing the music.”

“What? You don’t like opera?” Boruto looked horrified.

“I appreciate my ears too much.” Sasuke smirked and pulled his phone out, commandeering the Bluetooth speakers with some more tasteful music.

Over the next few hours, they found an easy comradely in cleaning the living room. Sasuke was pleased to note how thoroughly the kid cleaned, none of that half-assed stuff that most people do, but Sasuke made sure that he handled the blood himself—that was where he drew the line in Boruto helping. They talked about light topics, mainly music or Boruto would tell him little stories centering around his extended family. It was easy to see how loved Boruto was, how unknowingly protected he was from the darkness that consumed his family.

As Sasuke pulled several pictures from broken frames, he asked, “How come your dad’s not in any photos?”

“It has something to do with his job,” Boruto replied as he stacked a large pile of thick binders in the corner. “He takes them, though. Develops them too. We’ve a darkroom in the basement.”

Sasuke looked down at the top photo in his hand—Boruto was playing in a pile of leaves, he looked maybe six or seven. It was beautiful. The colours were vibrant and the falling leaves made the photograph seem timeless, but the most eye catching was the large, gleeful smile consuming Boruto’s face.

Boruto patted the stack of binders; there were at least fifteen, each one at least three inches thick. “These are all photo albums. There’s even more downstairs.” 

“Your dad has talent,” Sasuke said as he looked through the photographs in his hands. They were all of Boruto and they were all absolutely stunning.

“Yeah, I think he should do a gallery show—I like galleries—but even though he can do it anonymously he won’t. Uncle Sai agrees with me, but Uncle Shika said not to push.”

Sasuke looked up at that. “How come?”

Boruto frowned and shrugged. “Uncle Shika usually talks things through with me until I figure them out myself—he’s a psychologist—but this time he wouldn’t. He just said that it was something dad did for himself and that I should respect that.”

Looking back down at the photographs, Sasuke’s mind drifted back to the conversation he had had with Naruto, when it was implied that the Kyūbi couldn’t leave Konoha City. There were a lot of restrictions placed on Naruto’s life: where he could go; whom he could love; hell, the man couldn’t even take a damn photo with his son. Naruto Uzumaki wasn’t even his real name, but neither was Kyūbi. The man wasn’t allowed to exist outside of his duties as Kyūbi—a role he had been thrust into, one he may never have even wanted, but one he now embraced in order to—Sasuke’s eyes widened.

“Boruto?” Sasuke asked quietly. “Why do you want your dad’s pictures in a gallery?”

Boruto nibbled on his bottom lip and looked off to the side for a moment, staring unseeingly at a half-full garbage can. “I’m not stupid,” he said slowly. “I know what my dad does is likely illegal. No businessmen does that much work at night and just the concept of NamiCorp is shady. I mean, have you seen this complex? And employees live here?”

Sasuke couldn’t argue with that logic. When Karin had told him about NamiCorp something hadn’t seemed right.

Boruto sighed. “But my dad isn’t a bad guy. He takes really good care of me and even if he doesn’t say it, I know he loves me. I think he’s just been dealt a bad hand, but he makes the best of it, y’know? He’s a good person. I just…” He shrugged. “I guess I just want people to see that.”

“People don’t need to see his photography to see that,” Sasuke said as he gently set the photos aside.

“They don’t?”

Sasuke shook his head. “They just need to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WRITING SCHEDULE:  
> I've a tentative writing schedule. In order to not over stress myself & give more attention to chapters for each of my four current stories, I'm going to attempt to post bi-weekly for each story. My posting goal is by end of Friday of each week. So, unfortunately that means you lot won't get a post next week, but those reading _Beautiful Evolution_ & _ABO_ will.   
> See you lovely lot in two weeks!


	30. Take Me To Church

Smoke swirled slowly toward the church ceiling. With each inhale the paper brightened, illuminating the tanned, scared cheeks of the man sitting on the broken pew. The whole church was in ruins, shattered stained glass windows, torn carpets, broken benches. It was a cliché setting for a cliché meeting. He didn’t care, though, as he took another slow drag of his cigarette. It was a securable location on the outskirts of Konoha—neutral territory.

Naruto looked up at the broken cross, half burnt and coloured in graffiti. He was not a particularly religious man. It was hard to believe in a higher power when you were the one choosing who lived and who died. Last time he had entered a church was when he got married, and that was anything but a blessed affair. Yet, as he sat on that broken pew, looking at that broken cross, he felt at peace with his decision. He just hoped Sasuke would forgive him, that Boruto would forgive him.

A low creak echoed through the church as the front door opened and then closed with a dusty bang. Naruto didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The afternoon sun shown through the arched windows, elongating Itachi’s shadow as he walked up the aisle.

“I told you to come alone,” Naruto said, his timber deep and gravelly, and then he took another long drag of his cigarette, finishing it.

Itachi stopped several feet away. “I don’t see anyone else here, do you?”

“You’ve two at the front and one in the back.”

Itachi clicked his teeth. “Like you came alone.”

Uzumaki stood. He turned and faced the federal agent. Itachi felt a shiver of fear run through him at the sight of those hard, empty eyes, void of anything remotely human. If Itachi believed in God, then he was certainly stood before Lucifer.

Slowly, Uzumaki pulled a gun from his left side holster. He removed the magazine and tossed both on the floor. He repeated the action with the gun on his right. Never once did he look at the agent, not even when he began to toss various knives and daggers on the floor between them. Itachi’s eyes widened at the sight of the one-man arsenal. When the last weapon was thrown into the pile, Uzumaki raised his hands.

“You gonna talk,” Uzumaki said, his dead eyes finally meeting Itachi’s. “Or are you going to arrest me?”

Itachi looked at Uzumaki for a long moment, before he sighed and added his two guns to the pile.

“You said this involved my brother,” he said as Uzumaki lowered his hands.

“Sasuke gave you a cup weeks ago. How far have you gotten with that?”

“A mound of cold cases and a dead end,” Itachi admitted.

Uzumaki clicked his teeth and then lit a new cigarette. “For a federal agent, you’re kind of shit.”

“Not much I can do when all the cold cases were hardly looked into,” Itachi defended. It was true, though, in most of the cases involving victims with that strange tattoo there had been very little investigation.

“Obviously that’s ‘cause he has his snakes in the government, probably in your precious FBI too.”

“Who?”

Uzumaki took a slow drag and exhaled completely. “Orochimaru.”

Itachi stilled. Orochimaru was the biggest crime boss in the country.

“He’s come for Sasuke,” Uzumaki said lowly, his cigarette lighting up his face in the dim light of the church windows.

The agent’s blood ran cold. “Why?”

Uzumaki shrugged. “Ask your father.”

“He wouldn’t-”

“You sure about that?” Uzumaki snapped, and for once there was heat in his eyes, a dark heat, filled with rage and the promise of death.

Itachi couldn’t answer. He wasn’t sure. Not anymore.

“Orochimaru is after Sasuke,” Uzumaki said firmly. “I can take care of any snakes he sends here, but unless he comes himself, I can’t stop him out there.”

“So Sasuke is safe in Konoha?” Itachi asked slowly, sensing there was more to this.

Uzumaki shook his head and then slumped into one of the broken pews. His shoulders hunched and his head bowed. Itachi was no longer facing off with the Devil, but now stood before a broken man.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

“I do.”

Uzumaki looked down at his cigarette, watching the paper slowly burn toward his fingers. “I’ll make you a deal. Help me eradicate Orochimaru and get Sasuke and my son as far away from Konoha as possible—protect them and keep them hidden—and I’ll give you what you want.”

Itachi frowned. “And what is it you think I want?”

Uzumaki lifted his head up to the broken cross in the front of the church and finished off his cigarette. “Me.”

“What are these?”

Sasuke looked briefly over his shoulder and then returned to the stove where he was preparing dinner. “False eyelashes.”

Boruto turned the bag of thick, black lashes over in his hand curiously, and then returned it to Sasuke’s makeup kit, which he had been fascinated over for the past half hour. “Why do you need those?”

“They make my eyelashes longer,” he explained. They had finished cleaning the living room nearly an hour ago; the task had essentially taken all day. After cleaning up themselves, Sasuke had donned his own clothes—a dress shirt and a pair of Suke’s leggings—and they had moved to the kitchen to determine what could be done about dinner.

“Your lashes look plenty long to me,” Boruto said as he came to stand beside Sasuke. “Is it a thing like the bras?”

Sasuke flushed and nodded his head once. It had been an odd day, but not an unwelcomed one. Boruto was just so unfathomably understanding, that Sasuke was finding himself completely relaxed in this house that was a home, to the point that he found himself wishing that this was his home too. Boruto made it all so ridiculously easy.

The doorbell rang and Boruto scurried away, calling out, “I’ll get it!”

Sasuke tensed. The opening of the door was like a crack in this little, homely bubble that Boruto had created, and Sasuke found the coil stirring awake. Turning down the burner, he went into the laundry room and found a pair of clean gloves, slipping them on as he listened to Boruto greet someone.

“Hey, Sasuke?” Boruto called as he closed the door. “It’s Uncle Shikamaru! He says he wants to talk to you.”

The coil bounced in his stomach as Sasuke met them in the living room, or at least what was left of it after the cleanup. Shikamaru followed behind Boruto, his hands in his pockets, looking like your average office worker, but Sasuke was wise to it. He could tell by the hard set of the man’s eyes that this wasn’t a friendly visit.

“Boruto, go to your room for a bit,” Shikamaru said, his calculating eyes never leaving Sasuke.

The boy frowned, but immediately went to do as he was told. Clearly, this hadn’t been the first time he had been dismissed from a room. Before Sasuke could help himself, his arm went out and he gently grabbed Boruto’s arm, halting him before he could pass.

Sasuke pointedly ignored Shikamaru’s raised brow as he bent to Boruto’s level and asked, “I think your uncle would like to talk to me in private, but there’s no reason for you to go to your room. Would you mind watching dinner for me instead? The pot needs to be stirred occasionally so it doesn’t burn.”

“Sure!” Boruto said, his smile returning as he bounded into the next room over.

He watched the child go, comforted by the fact that Boruto wouldn’t be far, and then turned back to Shikamaru. His expression was neutral as he asked, “What do you want?”

“What happened to the living room?” Shikamaru asked, his eyes sweeping the room that was now void of most of its furniture.

Sasuke said nothing, nor did he move from his position a few feet from the entrance to the kitchen. He did not owe Shikamaru an explanation, so he did not give one. Shikamaru’s eyes moved to Sasuke’s attire, and the coil began pressing against the entrance to his esophagus. Yet still, Sasuke did not move, did not give away the slightest hint of his discomfort.

“Interesting attire,” Shikamaru said. “I thought you always dressed as one or the other?”

Sasuke quietly kept his eyes on Shikamaru. He had been abused far too much by his family and Orochimaru; he would not allow this man to break him further. Things might be a little rough with Naruto right now, but he was still Naruto’s queen. He was strong. Right?

After a moment, Shikamaru sighed and returned his gaze to the living room. “Look, I’m a psychologist. Naruto thought I should talk to you.”

“But he didn’t ask you to,” Sasuke said with absolute certainty. As Kyūbi, Sasuke knew Naruto would do whatever he deemed appropriate, but this had nothing to do with the mafia. This was personal. He knew Naruto wouldn’t do anything personal without consulting him first. It was, of course, possible that Naruto thought Sasuke should see someone, considering Boruto’s past Naruto was obviously open to the idea, but he would never have sent Shikamaru without talking about it with him.

Shikamaru frowned at that. “You need help.”

“I do,” Sasuke admitted. “But the only help I need from you is in dealing with Orochimaru.”

The other man frowned, his eyes hardening. “You’re sick, Sasuke, the other night made that more than apparent. I don’t think it’s something Naruto alone can help you with. You need a doctor, probably medications, and maybe even temporary institutionalization.”

The coil shot into Sasuke’s mouth, twisting around his tongue and chocking off his voice. He fisted his hands at his sides, willing them not to go to his crawling skin, not to tear into the wounds and scabs that had been itching all day. Uchiha’s did not go to mental institutions!

“I don’t-” Sasuke tried to say. “I’m not-” Something twisted in his ribcage. Was he even an Uchiha after last night? He had kissed Naruto in front of his father. Surely father would take action against him now, wouldn’t he? Sasuke would be disowned. He’d lose his job. He’d-

Tiny hands wrapped around one of his fists and gently pried it open.

“Dinner’s ready, Sasuke.”

Sasuke looked down at Boruto. The boy gave him a small, warm smile and tugged his hand toward the kitchen. Sasuke was easily pulled.

“I’ll see you Wednesday for chess, Uncle Shika,” Boruto said dismissively as they entered the kitchen.

“Kabuto’s in town.”

Sasuke froze, Shikamaru’s words ringing in his ears.

“You gonna tear into yourself again?” Shikamaru asked, but Sasuke hardly heard him. Kabuto. Kabuto was in Konoha. He knew, Orochimaru knew, and he was here—he was here for Sasuke.

Warm arms wrapped around Sasuke and he felt a pressure against his stomach. He looked down to a bright head of blonde hair. Boruto was hugging him. His brows lifted in confusion as his panicked thoughts faded away. Boruto was hugging him. He fought to focus on the feeling of the child, the thin arms secure around his torso, the warm breaths brushing against his shirt as Boruto nuzzled into his stomach.

Slowly, hesitantly, Sasuke settled his arms around Boruto, hugging the boy back. He could smell the boy’s cheap, generic shampoo, feel the soft strands of Boruto’s hair brush against his chin. It grounded him. It secured him to the floor and kept him here, where he was supposed to be.

“Still here?”

Sasuke lifted only his eyes at the sound of Naruto’s deep, steady voice. Naruto was standing behind Shikamaru, looking big and imposing, like an immovable rock. He gave a small smile from the nest that was Boruto’s hair. “Still here.”

Naruto returned the smile for a brief moment before turning his attention to Shikamaru, his expression hardening. “I don’t believe you have any business here, Shikamaru.”

Shikamaru sighed and turned to Naruto. “I was only doing my job.”

“Upsetting my family isn’t your job,” Naruto said, his tone hard and cold. “Nor were you invited to dinner.”

Clicking his teeth, Shikamaru gave Naruto a curt nod and left. Naruto waited until the front door shut, before he walked over to the two most important people in his life. He wouldn’t lie. He was still pissed with Sasuke. The whole engagement fiasco would take time to get over, but he wouldn’t let that overshadow what was happening right now—nor how amazing Sasuke’s ass looked in those leggings. He could see those delicious cheeks just peaking out from under Sasuke’s shirt.

Wrapping his arms around them, Naruto first kissed the top of Boruto’s head and then Sasuke’s cheek. “Who’s hungry?”


	31. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update/Edit: Fixed the formatting. I've not the foggiest as to what bloody happened there, but it should be sorted out now.

Sasuke lay in bed on his stomach in a pair of silk, boy-cut underwear that showed only a sliver of his cheeks and one of Naruto’s oversized hoodies. His face was lit up by the soft glow of his phone and his glasses were perched on the tip of his nose. It was the early hours of the morning. Boruto was fast asleep and Naruto had left a few hours ago for work.

Chewing on his lip, Sasuke stared at Jiraiya’s unanswered email. He hadn’t heard from his father yet, but it was only a matter of time. There was a lot going on right now, most of which he was currently refusing to dwell on, but finding a new job was one of the few things he could handle on his own. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke ignored the wiggling of the coil and typed out: _Let’s set up a meeting and talk_. Without second guessing himself, he pressed send and tossed the phone to the side.

He sighed heavily, his body exhausted. He didn’t know what he felt. He was numb, but it was a different numb than before when he had just shut down. This was more like feeling so much that he couldn’t keep up. When he had been with Boruto and Naruto, he had been comfortable, relaxed even, but now that they were both gone-

His phone chimed and he automatically reached for it. Flicking the screen back to life, Sasuke opened his text messages. It was an unknown number with an attachment. He went to swipe to delete when another message chimed: _What a precious boy!_

Sasuke’s heart froze. He clicked on the message and a photo appeared, a boy with blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a warm smile. Boruto. Sasuke bolted into the bathroom and threw up. Boruto. He was the perfect age. Innocent. Just Orochimaru’s type. N-no! They couldn’t-Sasuke wouldn’t let them!

His phone chimed again in the other room. Wiping his mouth, Sasuke rushed over to it. His hands shook as he picked up the phone, the coil shooting into his mouth. _You or him._ Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his hand around the phone. Fuck. With a defeated roar, Sasuke threw the phone across the room.

He was so sick of this! He was sick of Orochimaru and his bullshit! He was sick of the Uchihas! He was sick of Suke! He was sick of Sasuke! He was sick of being sick!

“Sasuke?”

Sasuke spun around and saw Boruto in the doorway. Boruto. Immediately, he walked over to the boy and pulled him into his arms. Boruto didn’t deserve this. Something swelled inside of Sasuke, something warm and powerful. He’d keep Boruto safe, but he couldn’t give himself up either—Naruto would just go after him if he did. He had to keep Boruto safe, he had to keep them both safe.

Nuzzling Boruto’s soft hair, Sasuke felt the coil fade away. Tiny arms wrapped around him, hugging him back. It wasn’t perfect and they all had issues, but this was his home. This was his family.

Pulling away enough for Boruto to look up, Sasuke asked, “Does Ino live very far?”

Boruto shook his head. “She’s two doors down.”

“Okay, good. Go get dressed, I have to go out and I don’t want you alone.”

“It’s okay. I’m alone in the house all the time,” Boruto said casually.

Sasuke knelt down to the boy’s level and looked into those innocent, blue eyes. Softly, but firmly, he said, “I don’t want you to be alone.”

Boruto looked back at him for a moment before giving an easy nod. “Okay.”

After Boruto skimpered off to his room, Sasuke walked over to the neat pile of freshly washed clothing—both Sasuke Uchiha’s and Suke’s. He had to go about this the right way. He had to dress appropriately. His hand reached for the business attire. _My Queen_. It was a whisper in the back of his mind, Naruto’s voice, seductive and warm, and full of awe. With small smile, Sasuke confidently grabbed his clothes.

Itachi walked into the now familiar café. It was the same one he had met his brother in last time. Like then, he got a black coffee, but this time he didn’t bother looking around, he went straight up to the second floor. When he reached the landing, he froze.

Sasuke was in the same chair as before, but this wasn’t a Sasuke he knew. It wasn’t the well-tailored Uchiha that had been groomed to perfection, nor the exotic woman fraternizing with a mafia boss at late-night clubs. Dressed in fitted, dark jeans, women’s flats, and a simple navy blouse that hung off one shoulder, Sasuke was as serenely beautiful as a Greek statue. He was once again looking out of the window, his black hair cascading down one of his shoulders, and a cup of steaming tea held between his gloved hands.

When Sasuke’s phone rang, his brother set his cup down with a comfortable elegance and picked it up. A soft smile spreading across his lips as he answered. “Hey… Still here… That café on 31st and North Kishimoto…” Sasuke’s smile grew. “Okay, but give me, like, an hour?” He looked over to Itachi and Itachi’s breath caught as his brother’s smile didn’t disappear. A soft blush coloured Sasuke’s cheeks and he looked away. His next words were spoken in a private whisper, “I love you.”

Hanging up the phone, Sasuke once again looked over. His smile wasn’t as big anymore, but there was still a hint of it. “Confusion is a good look for you.”

Itachi felt his cheeks warm and he cleared his throat as he walked over, taking the seat across from his brother. Only a low coffee table separated them. “I got your text.”

Sasuke’s face turned serious and he fiddled with his phone for a brief second before sliding it across the table. Itachi picked it up, looking at the one-sided text conversation that included the picture of a small, blonde boy—the one that had accompanied Uzumaki at the gallery. Itachi had been unable to find any records of the child, but Uzumaki had mentioned having a son. He set the phone back down and looked at his brother. “Who’s the kid?”

Sasuke’s eyes grew tight and dark. “Someone very precious to me.” He took a deep breath. “I know why you’re here, Itachi. I know why you came to Konoha, but the Kyūbi isn’t who you think he is. I know he’s done bad things, I’m not an idiot, but there are far worse monsters in this world.”

Itachi leaned forward and stappled his fingers. “You mean Orochimaru.”

“Yes.” Sasuke looked him straight in the eyes. “And Fugaku Uchiha.”

The air left Itachi’s lungs. “Tell me what you know.”

“First, tell me why you left.”

The air stilled between the brothers and Itachi wondered if it even mattered, but at the very least, he supposed he owed his brother an explanation. He had left so suddenly, so rashly, and he hadn’t even said goodbye to the one person he cared for.

“It was a mistake.” Itachi signed and slumped back in his chair. “A stupid, childish mistake. There were whispers of the company going under, bankruptcy. Father was furious, desperate. I was being forced to marry an heiress in a last-ditch effort for funding. I cracked under the pressure and ran away, joined the military. I thought it was the only way out.

‘I meant to come back for you, Sasuke. I really did, but there was no legal way to take you from them. In the eyes of the public and the courts they were the perfect parents.”

“Public image is everything,” Sasuke said simply. There was no forgiveness in his voice, but no hostility either. He leaned forward to take up his tea, the gap in his shirt revealing a black bra underneath, but Itachi hardly comprehended it as Sasuke flicked his hair to the other side. The tattoo. It was faded and old, but Itachi would recognize it anywhere at this point.

After taking a sip of his tea, Sasuke continued, “Even if it means selling your own son.” He sighed and looked out the window. “The first time was in my own bedroom. He stayed for three whole nights and I wasn’t allowed to shower until he had left. After that I’d go to his on the weekends and was trained as he saw fit.

‘It hurt and I was confused and scared, but despite what he did it was worse at home. They didn’t care. They brushed me off. When my health started to decline, they punished me for ‘acting out,’ said they were disappointed in me, that ‘Itachi would have done better.’ So, I didn’t say anything more and pretended everything was fine.

‘When I was older, my body more mature, he started giving me out to others as his interest faded in me physically, but for some reason he still kept me around.” Sasuke’s eyes turned glossy with unshed tears, but he didn’t stop. “I wish I had been like the others, the ones he got rid of, but I was still useful. I was smart and good at making deals. So, he let me go to university, to get a degree, to work at the company that was now thriving more than it ever had.”

Finally, Sasuke looked at Itachi and his expression was that of a very tired soul, but one that still burned with life. “I still hate you, Itachi. I hate that you left, I hate that you barged back into my life, I hate that you invalided my space, but please, don’t make me hate you for taking away my home, my family.”

Itachi’s eyes fell to the phone on the coffee table, the screen now black. It was a hard pill to swallow—that his stupid, immature actions had led to this. It was his fault, he would never argue otherwise, but it wasn’t his fault alone, and he had the power to—not fix it, it could never be fixed, it could never go back to how it was, but perhaps make it a little better, perhaps make his brother a little better.

Leaning forward with determination, Itachi said, “What do you have in mind?”

Itachi stood at the big windows on the second floor of the café and looked down as his brother crossed the street. He walked with an easy confidence, ignoring the looks of the other pedestrians, as he made his way over to a blonde man leaning against the entrance to an alleyway. Uzumaki, no doubt. Sasuke stopped in front of him, seeming almost timid. Uzumaki said something and reached forward, lightly touching Sasuke’s gloved fingers and his brother seemed to melt at the tiny contact.

Turning from the window, Itachi pulled out his phone and quickly dialed. It hardly even rang before he heard the click of an answer, but he didn’t wait for his partner to speak. “We’re pulling back on the Kyūbi. I want everyone to investigate Fugaku Uchiha.”

“Uh, sure thing,” Kisame said, “but what about-”

“Forget, Uzumaki, we’ve bigger fish to catch.”

“Who?”

“Orochimaru.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to be better about setting myself posting dates. They will be listed on my profile.


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